Oracle of the Fates
by Catastophie
Summary: Blah...my first fanfic. I didn't like it when I read over it well compared to my new works, but I encourage you to read it!
1. Part One: One

Chapter one

He walked barefooted through the gardens touching the brightly colored flowers as he walked. The oranges, reds, and pinks all surrounded him. A cool spring breeze ruffled his hair as he walked, and smooth grass slide through his toes. 

He picked a bright yellow flower and laid down on the grass. "The days pass so slow without you, my love," he spoke. A breeze came by and picked the brightly colored flower from his fingers as it came, and carried it as it blew. "My love, my life, I have been so sad without you, I wish you hadn't left. These two years have past too slow without your presence near me. I wish we could be together forever, never apart. Then the days wouldn't pass as slow. I love you, too much to let you go, and in these two years, I have loved you even more than anyone could ever love. My love, my life, my light, please come back to me."

~~*~~

A girl walked through the city in the night, alone hurrying to her next class, with heavy books piled in her arms. Her long dirty blond hair was put up in a nice ponytail, and a backpack was slung over her shoulder. Her light glasses rested on the brim of her nose.

A bright yellow flower landed on the huge pile of books in her arms. _Hmm, it doesn't look like it's from around here,_ she thought as she walked; _I wonder where it came from?_ She sat down on a bench and picked it up from her books, suddenly a column enclosed her and she was being brought to Gaea. 

~~*~~

A moment later, she had fallen from the sky. It was dark here, she soon realized it must be night, as her eyes adjusted to the darkness. In the distance, she heard hooves. _Why do I here hooves? Where am I?_ She wondered. The hooves were coming closer and closer, and then they stopped. Now she could hear someone.

"Hitomi?" Called the voice.

"Who's there?" She asked. The figure came up to her. She could see the dark figure clearly now. He wore a red shirt and beige colored pants. His brown bangs hung to his eyebrows, and he had a sword at his side.

"Who are you?"

"Who are you." He had soon realized she was a young woman, no harm in that, so he took his hand off of his sword. 

"Where are you traveling to?" He asked as he lit a torch to see her better in the dark. 

"I don't know," she responded.

"You have to be traveling somewhere. You're in the forest. Where are you're companions?"

"Companions?"

"A young woman like yourself shouldn't travel alone."

"Who said anything about traveling?"

"You have to be traveling, or you wouldn't be out here in the forest."

"Stop playing jokes on me. I have no idea what you're talking about!" She screamed.

"Sorry, I just want to know who you are."

"I already told you, I'm Clarissa Menoso. I have a question for you."

"Yes?" He demanded.

"Where am I?" She asked unknowingly. 

"You're in Fanelia, just east of the castle."

"Seriously, Fanelia! Wow! I've been trying to get here my whole life. How'd I end up in Gaea?" She asked excitedly.

"Where are you from?" The figure asked.

"The United States of America, Earth, what you call the Mystic M--"

"The Mystic Moon? You're from the Mystic Moon?" He said excitedly, "do you know Hitomi? Hitomi Kanzaki?"

"Oh, I guess you don't follow the news," she frowned, "and I used to know her. She was the best track runner I've ever met, but after the crash, nothing was the same."

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"Hate to tell you, but Hitomi Kanzaki died three months ago in a huge plane crash, along with many famous athletes that were traveling to a convention."

"She died?" He asked. He felt his soul being sucked out of him. _She died._

"I'm really sorry. You must have known her." He hide his tears from her.

"Yeah, I knew her, but I'd rather know the news then keep on living without it."

"I'm really sorry, if it makes you feel any better, my parents died when I was three. They never knew what happened to them. Or else they never told me what happened. They just never came back. I went to an adoption agency. There were a lot of people there, too. More than there was supposed to be. I was there for a while until a family adopted me. There were two other kids in the family who had been adopted. I got along pretty well until I found out about Gaea."

"My parents died when I was young, too, but I got over it. Say, since you're from the Mystic Moon, you have no knowledge of Gaea. Would you like to come back to the castle with me?"

"Sure, I guess, I have no where else to go."

He helped Clarissa up on his horse, and climbed up after her. They rode back to the castle. _Riding a horse is nothing like riding in a car, I guess it's something to get used to_, Clarissa thought.

"What do you mean when you said, 'Until I found out about Gaea'?"

"It was really strange actually. I'll tell it to you later." 

"Who are you?" Clarissa asked when they arrived. She paused; "Sorry you just seem oddly familiar."

"I'm Vaughn of Fanelia." He finally said.


	2. Part One: Two

Chapter two

The next morning, Clarissa woke on an oddly soft bed. The morning sun shown down on her as she lifted herself out of bed. She an extra change of clothes in her backpack, which had traveled with her to Gaea. She changed into her clothes, and decided to take a stroll through the halls. 

__

It's really Gaea, isn't it? She thought to herself. She turned a corner and crashed into someone.

"Oh, I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to--. I must have not been looking. I'm really sorry, really." Clarissa apologized as she looked up into blue eyes and long blond hair.

"No, it's ok, my fault," said the manly figure.

"Sorry, I'm not from around here; I don't know where I'm going." 

"Really? Where are you from?"

"I just arrived here last night. I'm from--"

"So, Clarissa," said Vaughn behind her, "I see you've met Allen Schezar."

"Uh, I guess so," she said as she set her glasses back up to her eyes.

"Breakfast starts in ten minutes, Clarissa, if you want to come, you should be there soon," Vaughn said as he walked away. 

"Uh, Allen? Isn't it?"

"Yes?"

"I really have no idea where breakfast is, could you show me?" She asked.

"Sure, I was just going there myself," he replied.

"So," Clarissa started as they walked, "I really appreciate you showing me where breakfast is, I have no idea, and I've been really hungry since I haven't eaten since, uh, since actually two days ago. I've just been too busy with my classes, and--"

"That bracelet," he pointed out, "Where did you get it?"

"Just around where I live. It has crystal from Austria, but nothing else special," Clarissa explained.

"Crystal from Austuria?"

"Not Austuria, Austria. I went to Austria before. They have lots of crystal there, and salt from Salzburg, too. It's really neat. I have relatives there."

"Austria? Not Austuria?" Allen asked.

"Yes, Austria."

"But that's on the Mystic Moon. Is that where you're from?"

"Yes, I'm from the Mystic Moon, USA actually."

"Really? Do you have any special powers?"

"Yes, but I've never told anyone, or used them in public, because they really freak people out," she whispered.

"Really? What powers do you have?"

"Telekinesis. I can move things with my mind."

"Seriously? You should show me sometime." They had arrived at breakfast.

"Well, I guess this is it." 

"I'll see you sometime later, Clarissa."

Clarissa inhaled her breakfast since she was starving, and now everyone was asking her where she was from. 

"Ok, just stop will you!" She said to the next person who asked her. All of the cups and drinking glasses on the table fell down to the left with a crash, while the plates people where eating from rose from the table. She knew her Telekinesis was getting out of control. She let go of her stress, and the plates came down with a thunderous bang. "Uh, sorry?" Clarissa ran from the table and back to her room where she had slept last night. She laid on her bed and pulled a notepad out from her backpack, writing a poem about her stress. 

"Clarissa?" Allen opened the door and asked.

"Go away," she shwosed her arm and the door shut with a loud bang, but Allen was already inside the room. 

"Sorry, I just wanted to talk to you."

"My powers kind of get out of control when I'm stress. I should be the one apologizing. I just had no control over it."

Vaughn came barging through the door, "What was all that? I demand to know an answer. You're scaring off my guests more than I do."

"Sorry, I just got, uh, stressed."

"Stressed? Stressed? That was stressed?"

"I can't control my powers when I'm stressed. The telekinesis acts up when I get mad. I'm sorry," Clarissa explained.

"Then don't do it again," he thought for a second, "What powers!?"

"Vaughn, maybe you should calm down," Allen suggested.

"Calm down? I'm the King! I can do whatever I want to *bleeping* do!"

"Come on Vaughn just calm down."

"Just shut the *bleep* up, both of you!" Then the bed she was sitting on started to rise. "Oh, God." She let it fall back down to the floor. 

"See what I mean."

"I'm sorry Vaughn, I'm really sorry. Vaughn, please, please forgive me?"

"Ok, fine, but only if you try not to get stressed again."

"Ok, I'll try."

"Clarissa, your pendent," started Vaughn.

"What about it?"

"Where did you get it?"

"My grandmother gave it to me two years ago. She said she got it form a far distant land. She said someone gave it to her there. That's when I first started finding out about Gaea."

"Just like Hitomi."

"You, you have one too. Where did you get it?"

"Hitomi gave it to me before she left for the Mystic Moon. Her grandmother gave it to her, and her grandmother got it from Allen's father."

"Oh, I see."

"That's weird."

"Yeah, that's weird."

"Sorry, Clarissa."

"Yeah, sorry."

It was too weird to think about anything. Vaughn walked back out of room.

"Vaughn can get like that sometimes. Sometimes he's too reckless," Allen explained. He left the room without another word. Clarissa decided to vacate the room also, to get a better look at the gardens outside. 

"I just want to feel safe in my own skin," Clarissa sung as she walked through the gardens, "I just want to be happy again, I just want to feel deep in my own world, but I'm so lonely I don't even want to be with myself anymore. On a different day, If I was safe in my own skin, Then I wouldn't feel lost and so frightened, but this is today, and I'm lost in my own skin, and I'm so lonely I don't even want to be with myself anymore. And I'm so lonely I don't even want to be with myself anymore. And I'm so lonely I don't even want to be with myself anymore. I just want to feel safe in my own skin I just want to feel happy again."

"Hello?" Clarissa asked.

"Hello, my name's Merle. I saw you at breakfast."

"Oh, sorry, I'm sorry if I yelled at you. I'm sorry about breakfast, sometimes when I'm stressed my powers go out of control."

"Oh, you're the one with Telekinesis."

"Yeah, it's me. I'm the crazy one from the Mystic Moon."

"The Mystic Moon?" 

"Yeah, the Mystic Moon."

"The last person who came from the Mystic Moon --"

"Died, three months ago."

"Oh. Bye." Merle leapt off to the castle. Clarissa continued walking. After walking a long distance away from the castle, Clarissa decided she should go back, but soon she heard someone talking. She followed the noise and found a figure with its back to her. _Oh, only Vaughn_, she thought. She turned around to walk back to the castle, and started singing again. (Note to self, put in lyrics)

"Clarissa?" Asked Vaughn.

"Sorry if I interrupted you, Vaughn."

"No that's ok, I was just thinking about Hitomi. You know, you're a lot like her. I mean you look nothing like her, but your personalities; they're the same."

"Oh, I see. Your still mourning her death," Clarissa said as she sat next to Vaughn, "You know, I've known a lot about Gaea even before I came here. I just have to know where I'm going."

"Maybe that's why it brought you here."

"What brought me here?"

"The crystal, mine."

"Why do you think that?"

"Because I wished for Hitomi to come back to me, and it brought you. It must have not found Hitomi, since she was dead, and instead brought you here."

"Yeah, I see why."

Just then, a messenger came up to Vaughn.

"Lord Vaughn, an army is approaching the castle, an invasion. It's about two kilometers from here, and I am supposed to let you know that you're going to be headed to Austuria on the Crusade. It's about to leave, but we still need you aboard."

"Is Escaflowne loaded?"

"I'm on it now, sir."

"Is Allen leaving, too?"

"Yes, Lord."

"Good. Do you have our army up and armed?"

"Yes, Lord."

"Is the castle vacated?"

"Yes, sir."

"See that the invasion is stopped soon, and have someone report to me in Austuria."

"Yes, sir, the Crusade is waiting for you."

Vaughn pulled Clarissa up from the ground and held on to her arm as he ran to the docking bay, forcing Clarissa to match Vaughn's speed. They reached the docking bay in record time.

"Come on, Vaughn!" Clarissa screamed over the noise.

"I can't, I forgot my sword!" Vaughn yelled back. He ran back into the empty castle and into the room to get his sword. Vaughn spotted it on a chair, picked it up, and ran back to the docking bay. He then realized that the hatch was closing.

Vaughn heard Clarissa yell, "Vaughn! Jump!" He took two steps backwards and ran off of the platform into midair. Vaughn grabbed the edge of the hatch and slid into the Crusade, just as it closed.

"Vaughn." Clarissa whispered. They were off to Austuria.


	3. Part One: Three

Chapter two

The next morning, Clarissa woke on an oddly soft bed. The morning sun shown down on her as she lifted herself out of bed. She an extra change of clothes in her backpack, which had traveled with her to Gaea. She changed into her clothes, and decided to take a stroll through the halls. 

__

It's really Gaea, isn't it? She thought to herself. She turned a corner and crashed into someone.

"Oh, I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to--. I must have not been looking. I'm really sorry, really." Clarissa apologized as she looked up into blue eyes and long blond hair.

"No, it's ok, my fault," said the manly figure.

"Sorry, I'm not from around here; I don't know where I'm going." 

"Really? Where are you from?"

"I just arrived here last night. I'm from--"

"So, Clarissa," said Vaughn behind her, "I see you've met Allen Schezar."

"Uh, I guess so," she said as she set her glasses back up to her eyes.

"Breakfast starts in ten minutes, Clarissa, if you want to come, you should be there soon," Vaughn said as he walked away. 

"Uh, Allen? Isn't it?"

"Yes?"

"I really have no idea where breakfast is, could you show me?" She asked.

"Sure, I was just going there myself," he replied.

"So," Clarissa started as they walked, "I really appreciate you showing me where breakfast is, I have no idea, and I've been really hungry since I haven't eaten since, uh, since actually two days ago. I've just been too busy with my classes, and--"

"That bracelet," he pointed out, "Where did you get it?"

"Just around where I live. It has crystal from Austria, but nothing else special," Clarissa explained.

"Crystal from Austuria?"

"Not Austuria, Austria. I went to Austria before. They have lots of crystal there, and salt from Salzburg, too. It's really neat. I have relatives there."

"Austria? Not Austuria?" Allen asked.

"Yes, Austria."

"But that's on the Mystic Moon. Is that where you're from?"

"Yes, I'm from the Mystic Moon, USA actually."

"Really? Do you have any special powers?"

"Yes, but I've never told anyone, or used them in public, because they really freak people out," she whispered.

"Really? What powers do you have?"

"Telekinesis. I can move things with my mind."

"Seriously? You should show me sometime." They had arrived at breakfast.

"Well, I guess this is it." 

"I'll see you sometime later, Clarissa."

Clarissa inhaled her breakfast since she was starving, and now everyone was asking her where she was from. 

"Ok, just stop will you!" She said to the next person who asked her. All of the cups and drinking glasses on the table fell down to the left with a crash, while the plates people where eating from rose from the table. She knew her Telekinesis was getting out of control. She let go of her stress, and the plates came down with a thunderous bang. "Uh, sorry?" Clarissa ran from the table and back to her room where she had slept last night. She laid on her bed and pulled a notepad out from her backpack, writing a poem about her stress. 

"Clarissa?" Allen opened the door and asked.

"Go away," she shwosed her arm and the door shut with a loud bang, but Allen was already inside the room. 

"Sorry, I just wanted to talk to you."

"My powers kind of get out of control when I'm stress. I should be the one apologizing. I just had no control over it."

Vaughn came barging through the door, "What was all that? I demand to know an answer. You're scaring off my guests more than I do."

"Sorry, I just got, uh, stressed."

"Stressed? Stressed? That was stressed?"

"I can't control my powers when I'm stressed. The telekinesis acts up when I get mad. I'm sorry," Clarissa explained.

"Then don't do it again," he thought for a second, "What powers!?"

"Vaughn, maybe you should calm down," Allen suggested.

"Calm down? I'm the King! I can do whatever I want to *bleeping* do!"

"Come on Vaughn just calm down."

"Just shut the *bleep* up, both of you!" Then the bed she was sitting on started to rise. "Oh, God." She let it fall back down to the floor. 

"See what I mean."

"I'm sorry Vaughn, I'm really sorry. Vaughn, please, please forgive me?"

"Ok, fine, but only if you try not to get stressed again."

"Ok, I'll try."

"Clarissa, your pendent," started Vaughn.

"What about it?"

"Where did you get it?"

"My grandmother gave it to me two years ago. She said she got it form a far distant land. She said someone gave it to her there. That's when I first started finding out about Gaea."

"Just like Hitomi."

"You, you have one too. Where did you get it?"

"Hitomi gave it to me before she left for the Mystic Moon. Her grandmother gave it to her, and her grandmother got it from Allen's father."

"Oh, I see."

"That's weird."

"Yeah, that's weird."

"Sorry, Clarissa."

"Yeah, sorry."

It was too weird to think about anything. Vaughn walked back out of room.

"Vaughn can get like that sometimes. Sometimes he's too reckless," Allen explained. He left the room without another word. Clarissa decided to vacate the room also, to get a better look at the gardens outside. 

"I just want to feel safe in my own skin," Clarissa sung as she walked through the gardens, "I just want to be happy again, I just want to feel deep in my own world, but I'm so lonely I don't even want to be with myself anymore. On a different day, If I was safe in my own skin, Then I wouldn't feel lost and so frightened, but this is today, and I'm lost in my own skin, and I'm so lonely I don't even want to be with myself anymore. And I'm so lonely I don't even want to be with myself anymore. And I'm so lonely I don't even want to be with myself anymore. I just want to feel safe in my own skin I just want to feel happy again."

"Hello?" Clarissa asked.

"Hello, my name's Merle. I saw you at breakfast."

"Oh, sorry, I'm sorry if I yelled at you. I'm sorry about breakfast, sometimes when I'm stressed my powers go out of control."

"Oh, you're the one with Telekinesis."

"Yeah, it's me. I'm the crazy one from the Mystic Moon."

"The Mystic Moon?" 

"Yeah, the Mystic Moon."

"The last person who came from the Mystic Moon --"

"Died, three months ago."

"Oh. Bye." Merle leapt off to the castle. Clarissa continued walking. After walking a long distance away from the castle, Clarissa decided she should go back, but soon she heard someone talking. She followed the noise and found a figure with its back to her. _Oh, only Vaughn_, she thought. She turned around to walk back to the castle, and started singing again. (Note to self, put in lyrics)

"Clarissa?" Asked Vaughn.

"Sorry if I interrupted you, Vaughn."

"No that's ok, I was just thinking about Hitomi. You know, you're a lot like her. I mean you look nothing like her, but your personalities; they're the same."

"Oh, I see. Your still mourning her death," Clarissa said as she sat next to Vaughn, "You know, I've known a lot about Gaea even before I came here. I just have to know where I'm going."

"Maybe that's why it brought you here."

"What brought me here?"

"The crystal, mine."

"Why do you think that?"

"Because I wished for Hitomi to come back to me, and it brought you. It must have not found Hitomi, since she was dead, and instead brought you here."

"Yeah, I see why."

Just then, a messenger came up to Vaughn.

"Lord Vaughn, an army is approaching the castle, an invasion. It's about two kilometers from here, and I am supposed to let you know that you're going to be headed to Austuria on the Crusade. It's about to leave, but we still need you aboard."

"Is Escaflowne loaded?"

"I'm on it now, sir."

"Is Allen leaving, too?"

"Yes, Lord."

"Good. Do you have our army up and armed?"

"Yes, Lord."

"Is the castle vacated?"

"Yes, sir."

"See that the invasion is stopped soon, and have someone report to me in Austuria."

"Yes, sir, the Crusade is waiting for you."

Vaughn pulled Clarissa up from the ground and held on to her arm as he ran to the docking bay, forcing Clarissa to match Vaughn's speed. They reached the docking bay in record time.

"Come on, Vaughn!" Clarissa screamed over the noise.

"I can't, I forgot my sword!" Vaughn yelled back. He ran back into the empty castle and into the room to get his sword. Vaughn spotted it on a chair, picked it up, and ran back to the docking bay. He then realized that the hatch was closing.

Vaughn heard Clarissa yell, "Vaughn! Jump!" He took two steps backwards and ran off of the platform into midair. Vaughn grabbed the edge of the hatch and slid into the Crusade, just as it closed.

"Vaughn." Clarissa whispered. They were off to Austuria.


	4. Part One: Four

Chapter three

Clarissa sat one of the rooms of the ship with most of the crew teaching them how to play poker.

"Now, listen to me closely. These are called cards. They have numbers on them from 1 to 10. These are called face cards, this is a Jack, this is a Queen, and this is a King. This is an Ace. The values of each cards differ between each type of game you play. Hey, you, there, what did I just say?" 

"Dunno."

"Does anyone know what I said?" Clarissa asked.

There were a couple of grunts and then one guy said, "I knows what yous said. Yous said there's cards that have numbers on thems from 1 to 10 and a Jack, Queen, King, an Ace."

"Yeah, exactly. Now, did you all get that?"

There was a lot of yeahs.

"Ok, good," Clarissa started, "In the game of poker; there are different positions you can get when you have certain cards in your hand. You only get five random cards from the deck. Does anyone have paper?" Someone gave her a sheet. She drew on it twenty-five cards in rows of five. 

"For the first set," she explained, "This is a strait, or that's what they call it, it can be any combination of cards, but they have to be in an order like 1,2,3,4,5 or7, 8,9,10, Jack. They can't skip numbers, ok? The next set is called two pair; this is like its name. It is two pairs of cards. One pair has the same numbers, the other pair can have the same numbers as the first pair, but the two cards in the pair have to have the same number, got it? Ok, the next set is a Royal Strait. This is like a strait, but it has to have this exact order. The next set is a Full House, this is a pair with a set of three numbers, like a straight, but with only three cards. The final set is a pair. It is two cards that have the same number. Ok? Any questions? Good!" Clarissa wrote the names of each set, and their definition beside them. They all sat at a huge round table while Clarissa shuffled the cards. In a second, everyone had five cards and they all got into it easily. After a while, Clarissa started to teach them blackjack.

"The next game is called blackjack. The object is to get twenty-one points out of your cards. I give each person two cards. One of the cards is face up; the other is face down. You are the only one supposed to see the one card face down. Number cards are the number on the card, and face cards are 10 points. Aces are either 1 or 11 points, you choose. The object it to get as close to twenty-one points as possible. Black Jacks are automatic wins. To get another card, say hit me. If you don't want another card, say stay. You are out if you go over twenty-one points, and uh yeah just--"

"Sorry if I interrupted anything, Clarissa," Allen said as he came in.

"No not at all. I was just playing with the guys. Hey, they're kind of cute; do you think I could take one of them back with me?" Clarissa asked.

"I don't know, they seem too eager for you. They're not your type, trust me." Allen suggested. Then Clarissa burst out laughing. 

She finally got to calm down and said, "Sorry guys, I can't take you home. So, Allen, you came here for something?"

"Clarissa, I wanted to talk to you," he beckoned. She followed him out of the room. "Clarissa, things are different now."

"What do you mean, Allen?"

"In Austuria, there's a difference from Fanelia. It's a big city, not what you're used to."

"Don't worry, Allen I live in a big city."

"There's a lot of people in Palace that might get you, for any reason."

"Allen, I'll be fine."

"Clarissa," he said as he put his hand on her arm, "I just don't want you to get hurt."

"Since when did you feel obliged to protect me?" She asked madly.

"Clarissa, I just do, I mean you're a young woman, shouldn't I protect you?"

"I can protect myself, thank you very much."

"Clarissa, you don't understand. I want to warn you."

"Well I do understand. I'm sorry, Allen, I just want to feel independent. But, I guess it would be wise to have someone to protect me."

"Clarissa, I'm sorry, too. God, now I'm acting like Vaughn."

They sat there for a while, just thinking, not talking.

"What about Millerna? And Celena?"

"Millerna, she turned me down again, and Celena isn't happy when someone isn't around her. It hasn't been the same since Hitomi left."

"Yeah. Well, I know that Millerna doesn't want you to be too overprotective of her. She just wants to be with the fun-loving, smiling, charming person she feel in love with. And Celena needs someone to care for her. You know she cries each night in bed, because she knows she'll never find someone to love her."

"Really? But, how'd you know that?" Allen asked.

"What? Sorry, I wasn't really listening. I must have trailed off. I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"I asked you haw you knew that."

"Knew what? I don't remember saying anything to you since I apologized for my independence, you must be angry about-----" and then she fell to the floor with a thud.

~~*~~

"She just was delusional; she'll come around in no time." Clarissa heard someone say as she lifted her eyelids up from her heavy head. She sat upright in one of the soft beds. Slowly her vision came into focus and she looked around.

"Uh, Hi?" She said to no one in particular.

"See what did I tell you," said a young girl about Clarissa's age.

"Clarissa? Are you ok?" Asked Vaughn.

"Yeah, I feel fine, I just, uh, I guess I fainted. Uh, can I get up? I really don't want to sit here forever."

"Sure, go ahead," said the girl about Clarissa's age. Clarissa swung her feet off the side of the bed and pushed herself up. She walked up to the girl. "Hi, I'm Clarissa."

"I'm Millerna, hi," she said, "Welcome to Austuria." She pulled Clarissa off own the hall. 

"Let me guess," said Clarissa, "I need a dress." Millerna pulled her into one of the rooms in the hall. 

"Here, let me see, blue maybe? Are you sure you don't mind it? Hitomi used to hate it."

"No not at all, it doesn't make a difference to me what I wear." 

"Oh, ok. Here, try this." Millerna threw her a light blue dress. 

After Clarissa was dressed, Millerna said, "Good. I thought I wouldn't find a dress that would fit you since you're taller than I am, but good. Here, I'll have one of my servants through these clothes away for you."

"No, wait. Don't throw them away! Those clothes have sentimental value."

"What?" Millerna asked, "It's like Deja vu."

"Huh?" Clarissa asked.

"What you said about not throwing the clothes away. It's like Deja vu," Millerna said again.

"I didn't say anything like that."

"That's weird because I remember Hitomi saying something like that."

"I don't know what wacko mind you have, but I swear I didn't say anything like that. I'll keep my clothes, though." Clarissa put her clothes in her backpack. 

"Anyway, dinner is supposed be really soon. Come on, I'll show you where it is." They walked down the hall to the big room at the end where dinner was. Vaughn and Allen were already sitting there. As she came into the room, Clarissa could already see Vaughn gapping at her. She smiled back at him, and sat across from him. 

"So, Clarissa. Have you ever been to Austuria before?" Millerna asked as the food was brought out.

"No, it's my first time in Gaea," she said. _Shit, _she cursed herself_, I wasn't supposed to tell her I was from the Mystic Moon. I meant Austuria, not Gaea!_ "Sorry I meant Austuria," she quickly corrected herself.

"Gaea? You're from the Mystic Moon?" Millerna said astonished.

"Yeah, tell everyone. I'm the crazy girl from the Mystic Moon."

"Sorry, I was just surprised." 

Then they all ate their meal in silence.

When it was finished, and the dishes had been cleared. Clarissa got up to go somewhere, anywhere, away from these people.

"Clarissa, I want to talk to you," said Vaughn behind her. 

"What do you want?" Clarissa asked impatiently. Vaughn led her into the room nearest to them.

"You know Clarissa; things have been really strange around here with you around. It's like your Hitomi and your reliving her experience."

"Why's that?"

"Well, first of all the Great War has started again. And then we took the Crusade, and we went to Palace. It's the same."

"Yeah, Millerna said it was like Deja vu. She said something about me saying something she remembered Hitomi saying, but I swear I didn't say it."

"I think it's strange. I mean the concept of Hitomi's words with you, and you've never heard about Gaea and her experience. It's just strange. Half of me wants to learn more about you, but the other half just wants to cling on to Hitomi. I can't help it if I'll be too over protective of you in the next couple of days. I'm sorry, I just feel compelled to protect you since you're so much like Hitomi. Although I can tell you one thing, you a hell more attractive than Hitomi was."

"Uh-huh. Just one question, Vaughn. Do you love me because you're still holding on to the memories of Hitomi, or do you love me because of me?"

"I love you because you're like Hitomi, but you have more qualities that I like."

"Well, let me tell you, I play hard to get. Sorry, Vaughn, but you can't have me. I know you're just yearning to kiss me all over, but I wouldn't sleep with you if we were he last people on Gaea, and the whole population depended on us. Can't heal your pain," she said to him, "Oh yeah, I just wanted to let you know that your in my room. Now, get out of here, or do I have to drag you out?" Vaughn slammed the door on his way out. _Now that guy, I want, thought Clarissa, He's definitely got the looks, and the charm. I just like to play hard to get. It makes him more of what I want in the end._ The she laid back on the bed and fell asleep. 

~~*~~

The next morning was bright and sunny, and Clarissa felt fresh and rejuvenated. She got up and went down the hall to the table where they ate dinner at last night, pulling her notepad out of her backpack. She wrote on it: _And he gapped as I walked towards him, knowing what I'd become. The most--_

"What are you writing?' Allen asked from behind her.

"Oh, you know. I just let my hand flow, when the music is slow, and the letters dance, on the page in a trance. While the tranquil sounds, fill the room around, not knowing what to write, without their sight. To fly away, with the birds today, singing the notes, While I boast and boast, and my eyes glow, when I just let my hands flow. Heh, what do you know, that's pretty good why don't I write it down," then Clarissa looked down at her notepad, "Only if I didn't write this evil poem about Murky waters of the north Atlantic while I was drowning in that poem. Oh well, what did you want to say, Allen?"

"Nothing, I was just coming to breakfast."

"Me too, but there was nothing to else to do but rhyme. It just gives me the creeps, how I'm thinking of something, and writing something different. Happens to me lots of times. Has that ever happened to you?" Clarissa asked.

"No not that I can think of."

"Oh, I thought that happened to everyone." Then Allen started laughing.

"You must be joking right?"

"What? Seriously I thought everyone could move things with their mind, until everyone got freaked out at me. Then I realized everyone's different." Clarissa told with a straight face.

Then Millerna and Vaughn came in to have breakfast. Vaughn sat across from Clarissa, looking sad, while Clarissa just sat there happy smiling at him. Then she said, "Sorry Vaughn," when the food had been brought out. 

~~*~~

After breakfast, when Clarissa was just about to go outside, Vaughn caught up with her. 

"Clarissa, please let me talk to you."

"Why would I object?"

"Well, after last night, I thought you would. Listen Clarissa; I really do love you. Why can't you see that?"

"Vaughn, what you can't see isn't behind your eyes, it's right in front of your nose."

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is that the game isn't over, no one's called checkmate yet. The pawns are still set out, and the game is yet to be played."

"I'm sorry but I still don't know what you mean."

"Vaughn, it's only been a day since I arrived, and in that one day, you seemed to have fallen in love with me. Do you really know what love is?"

"Yes, but--"

"Vaughn, come back to me when the game's done, when someone has called checkmate, and then see if you really love me."

"Clarissa, I don't want to wait forever."

"Vaughn, the game of chess doesn't take forever, but it also doesn't take one day. Learn something from it, will you. Come back to me when someone's called checkmate." Then she walked off from the castle. A sigh of relief came over Clarissa. _And the game is just getting started. _

Vaughn looked up at her figure, back turned towards him, her hair glowing in the sun. _Too bad, Clarissa, too bad_, Vaughn thought as he walked back into the castle. Someone grabbed his arm just as he entered the castle. He turned around, suspecting it to be Clarissa, but it was a boy, only about the age of thirteen.

"Lord Vaughn," as he spoke, he gasped for air, "The castle has been destroyed alone with the city. They now lie in ruins. The enemies are headed for Palace." Blood seeped at his side.

"Millerna! Millerna!" Vaughn yelled. Millerna came rushing towards him. "He needs medical attention, fast." They carried him the Hospital as quickly as possible.

"Vaughn, what did he say?" Allen asked.

"My castle and the city now lay in ruins, and the army that evaded them is now coming towards Palace."

"And if he got here that fast, that must mean that--"

"The army is close behind."

"We have to get out of here. Hey you," he called to on of the servants standing near, "Tell the people at the docking bay to get the Crusade ready for departure." The servant scurried off on his business.

"We have to get everyone out." Vaughn said.

"Millerna, we have to leave." Allen commanded her.

"I can't, I have a patient here."

"Millerna we have to leave. If you stay behind, then the army will kill you and your patent. Millerna!" Allen yelled at her.

"What about Clarissa?" Vaughn asked.

"What about her, isn't she coming?"

"I don't know, she went on one of her walks right before I got this news. We have to find her." Vaughn panicked.

"Ok, well we'll meet you at the Crusade." Allen suggested. Vaughn ran out the front door to find Clarissa. 

He ran down the path she took yelling her name as he ran, until he came to the city. People filled its streets, and he tried his best to spot he over the huge crowd. Vaughn was all out of ideas, but then he saw something, Clarissa's dirty blonde hair glistened in the sunlight. 

He ran through the street to where he had spotted her, only to find that when he got there, she had disappeared. He looked all around, and saw her to his left. He ran over to her and grabbed her arm. She turned her face, and Vaughn let out a sigh of relief. It was her.

"You know, Vaughn, it's still too early to call checkmate."

"Yeah, well no one's called checkmate yet. Clarissa, we need to leave."

"Why? I personally like it here."

"Clarissa, I'll explain it to you when we get back." He pulled at her arm, and started to run back to the castle. When they finally made it to the docking bay, the Crusade wasn't closing its hatch, this time; they were waiting for them, no leaving without them. 

Chapter four

"Well, we're here; did you want to tell me that you still love me?" She asked Vaughn.

"No time for it, Lover boy. We have to get moving," said someone from behind. She had blond hair, and looked a lot like Allen.

"Oh, I see, Vaughn, this is your new girlfriend, isn't it?" She said.

"No, I just--"

"No buts about it, I understand."

"Who cares, Celena?" Vaughn finally said.

"Well, we _were_ waiting for you. Now, come on, we're ready to leave." They all got on the Crusade, just as the hatch was closing.

"Celena?" Clarissa asked.

"Yes, I'm Celena."

"Yeah, well I'm the crazy girl from the Mystic Moon, ok?"

"She doesn't believe me does she?" Celena asked Vaughn.

"She believes you, she's just telling you she's from the Mystic Moon."

"Yeah and I'm from Snuffalupagus Land. Vaughn; stop saying crazy things like that. The last girl that was from the Mystic Moon was Hitomi, it won't happen, not in another a thousand years."

"No I really am, I'm from the Mystic Moon. Nice to meet you, I'm Clarissa."

"Oh, I see. You only like her because she's from the Mystic Moon."

"Celena, I don't like her." 

"Denial, and when --"

"Celena, would you please go away, you're taking the fun out of all of it." Clarissa said.

"Yeah, when Clarissa gets mad, her Telekinesis gets out of control, then you never know what will happen next." Then Celena stomped off. 

Vaughn and Clarissa both laughed. "Sorry, Vaughn, I'm still not taking, even if I'm stuck here forever."

"That's ok, I like watching Celena fear. It's sort of fun when she bugs you a lot."

"Oh, well you know, I think that army is coming after us," Clarissa changed the subject, " There's no use in running from them, 'cause sooner or later, they find use, and when they do, they'll get use. Except if we run from them, then they'll just lose more people battling the cities along the way, but anyway, what's the point."

"The point is to keep you alive, Clarissa. The only reason I'm running is because I don't want you to get hurt. It's my fault that you're in all this mess, and I'm sorry."

"Well, it's my turn, and I'm not sure what to do next. Uh, sorry, Vaughn, but no." She push his hand away from hers and walked away from him. She walked down the hallway.

~~*~~

Clarissa once again sat at the same table playing cards with the guys. 

"You guys remember me don't you?" She asked.

"Yeah," said one of them. 

"Then you remember how to play some card games I taught," Clarissa pulled out a deck of cards from her backpack, "Here, you play." She walked out of the room, trying to find some peace and quiet.

"Clarissa, I'm sorry."

"I don't want to talk now; I'm not in the mood."

"Clarissa I'm really sorry. I didn't need...or want to bring you to this."

Clarissa stopped in the corridor and turned around to look at him, "Vaughn, I don't need this now. Please, Vaughn." She turned back around and started walking again. Vaughn pulled her hand and twisted her back around.

"Clarissa, listen, I...uh," he started. They were standing so close together that they're bodies were almost touching. Clarissa looked up at him. His eyes sparkled as they looked into hers. "Clarissa, uh, I'm sorry, I know you're mad, but it's not right for the invading army to just leave us for dead."

She looked up at him again, "Vaughn, it's all my fault, I'm the one who came here and caused this. You can't say you're sorry for nothing' you did." _He looks so strong and responsible. And sad, that too, or hopeful, I can't tell the difference. His eyes are just staring at me wondering, hopeful, yet sad. I can't seem to take my eyes off of him. He looks so strong. It's like I just want him to hold me and kiss me._

"No, Clarissa, you can't blame it all on yourself, it's not your fault, you don't know what you're saying." Vaughn was still holding her hand. _She looks so beautiful, just standing there so close to me, just wanting something from me. A kiss, maybe?_ Before they could think any longer, their lips were locked. For a full minute they just stood there kissing. 

Clarissa let go of the kiss and they both said at the same time, "I'm sorry I kissed you." 

"Wait, you kissed me? I thought I kissed you," Vaughn said.

"Shut up, just kiss me again," Clarissa said, but there was no time for another kiss, because Allen came rushing down the hall.

"We'll be landing in a few minutes for fueling purposes. It might give you guys a chance to get some fresh air," he said. _Does he know anything?_ Clarissa thought_, I hope not. But I'm still not going with Vaughn. He's too, too... uh, serious. I think._

"Yeah, I better get going, then," Vaughn said.

"Me too," Clarissa said. They both went opposite directions down the hallway, leaving Allen to attend to his duties.

As Clarissa got halfway down the hall she started to think, _Maybe Allen does know something. Maybe he was spying on our one first kiss. It still sticks to my lips, fresh as spring rain. I never want to wash it off. Am I thinking like those little cheerleaders from high school? Never mind, who cares anyway, I'm never going back there. Anyway, am I falling for Vaughn? Sweet lips, cute eyes, most-- no, I can't fall for him now. Too much, besides it wouldn't work out anyway. During this war, love just gives it a kick. He doesn't like me, does he? Gotta stop thinking about him. That kiss is getting to my head. _"Ohcome on, Clarissa, there's other things to worry 'bout," she said to herself. As she was nearing the end of the hallway, Clarissa turned around. Allen had left, and Vaughn was still heading down the hallway. She ran down it, pulling up her dress as she went so she wouldn't trip. 

Finally she reached Vaughn, "Vaughn," she whispered.

"Clarissa, I thought you weren't accepting me," he replied looking at her.

"I guess you've just got to accept sometime," she shot back and sighed, "Vaughn, I'm sorry. I guess my emotions just took over me. I can't stop it. I know you're a king and all, but seriously, Vaughn, you gotta get over Hitomi. I'm nothing like her, as I think you've already noticed."

Vaughn looked surprised, but then let it go, "Ok, Clarissa. I know Hitomi's gone. Maybe it was just the war that made me love her, or maybe I _am _really taking it out on you, but the fact is, Clarissa, I never thought I could love anyone else."

"Maybe it's just because you haven't kissed anyone in two years, or maybe I'll be you're next love during this war," Clarissa said furiously. She turned around and ran back down the hall, with tears streaming down her face. 

"Clarissa, wait, I didn't mean that, I, just wait," Vaughn yelled down the hall. 

She ran to the hatch, yearning to get outside before Vaughn stopped her. The Crusade landed, and she ran out of the aircraft into, _great another city for the sieging army to kill us in_. Clarissa walked over to the white railing, and stood enjoying the view from the landing pad. It overlooked the city and she could see people roaming the streets to anywhere they might be going. It made her smile to see such happy faces shaping the market. 

"This is Melaso. A city with high standards," Allen said as he leaned against the rail beside me, "The country has always been neutral in these kinds of attacks. It won't let armies inside the gates. So I guess we're safe."

"For now," she said under her breath.

"Oh, Clarissa!" Millerna said. Clarissa was lead off into the castle. She was pulled into one of the rooms. "Clarissa, there's a lot happening."

"What'd you think?" She was about to say, but then I wouldn't be being nice to Millerna.

"Clarissa, today is the king's birthday."

"Who?" She asked. _Well you have to know which one._

"King Basram of course! You _have _to go, too. I couldn't make it through the party without someone there to talk to."

"But I don't have anything to talk about."

"Clarissa, don't you see? You _need_ to be there. Do I have to beg you to go?"

"All right, but don' make me talk to everyone. I can't stand' it." 

"We have to get you a new dress."

"A new one? What's wrong with this one?"

"It's old and filthy. You need one of your own."

"Ok," Clarissa accepted. 

Clarissa stood tall while one of the servants measured her. She didn't know why all of this is necessary. She already had a dress.

"The light pink shade would look good. And this design with the red ribbons. I'd like to put in green ribbons to bring out your eyes, but it doesn't match." Millerna said. 

"Do many people around here have green eyes?"

"No, a lot of people have blue eyes, though. Not many people have brown eyes, now that's something special, I wish I had brown eyes, but I'll guess I'll have to live with blue."

"That's weird, 'cause back home brown eyes are dominant genetic trait. Not many of my people have blue eyes, green either."

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Ok, now," she paused for a moment, "Yeah, that will be good." She paused a second, 

"Wait a sec. My contacts making' my eyes dry." Clarissa put her finger up to her eye and moved around her green colored contact. As she moved it around, you could see her brown eyes as she moved it around. "Ok, I'm fine."

"You have brown eyes? You said you have green ones."

"If they're colored green, then they're green. I have different colors besides green."

"Ok, but that's kind of scary. I'll have your dress ready in about two hours."

Clarissa dressed into her gown that evening. _Guess I'll have to live with the green ribbons. Rhinestones are better. _She held back her hair while she put in her rhinestone earrings, and then brushed her hair and let it fall into its natural curl at the bottom. Then there was a knock at the door. 

"Clarissa, you have to be ready soon, I can't leave without you," Millerna said.

"I'll be ready soon," she replied as she put on her wet-look lip stick, reminding herself that people in Gaea don't wear make-up like this, so she went lightly on it, choosing a color that matched her lips. Another knock at the door. "Just sec," she yelled. The door opened.

"Clarissa," she turned around immediately, not expecting it to be Vaughn, _what an asshole._

"Vaughn, I don't care. I don't want to be made fun of anymore by you."

"Clarissa, I just wanted to say I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I'm sorry. I mean you're really beautiful. You have pretty hair, and pretty green eyes, and--"

"They're brown."

"Brown? That's unusual, but still beautiful. The point is, Clarissa, I'll try to be nicer to you next time. I didn't mean it; I really didn't, Clarissa, really."

"Vaughn, I know," was all she said. Clarissa walked around him and out the door. 

"Now we can leave," Millerna said. They walked down the corridor to the huge banquet hall. "Clarissa, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, what?"

"Well, you know how you and Vaughn are around each other all the time. What about that? Well, what I mean is, well, do you really like him?"

"Like him? Don't know. I mean, I guess he's kinda cute an' all, but no I don't think I like him. He's too serious."

"Ok, just making sure. Well, this guy, King Basram, is seventeen years old, too. And he might be cute."

"Millerna, you know I have a boy back home, don't you?"

"No, but who said you where going home."

"Who said I wasn't?"

"Ok, fine." They entered the banquet hall. Hardly anyone was there. "Most of the people are coming later. I let you come early so I could introduce you to the king."

"You can't do that to me! Not know I'm not ready, no you can't," Clarissa furiously said as they walked up to him. She turned around and put a smile on her face as they stood in front of him.

"King Basram," Millerna said.

"Ah, yes, Millerna, it's a pleasure to have you here."

"It's a pleasure to be here. I've always loved the city of Melaso."

"Not that you don't love your own city as much," he replied, "And who's this you have here," he turned to Clarissa.

"Hi, I'm Clarissa. Back home they call me Rissi, but you know, here I like my own name."

"Well, Clarissa, I'm glad to have you here."

"Well, that's cool, because I like being here."

"So, Clarissa, I know they call you Rissi back home, but I don't know anything about you. I've never heard of you before. Where are you from?"

"Well, I'm not surprised you haven't heard of me. I haven't been here long."

"Of course, you just got here, I mean after the incident with Palace and the Fanelia castle, but still I haven't heard of you, I should have if you know someone as great as Millerna," he said.

"Well, the thing is I haven't been in Gaea long. I'm from the Mystic Moon," she said nonchalantly.

He looked shocked, "So that's why I haven't heard of you. Well I know why you have that pendent know. It's really been intriguing me. I mean Vaughn has he same one."

"Yeah, I know. I got it from my grandmother. That's when I started trying to find out more 'bout Gaea."

"Well, I have other guests to talk to, but I'm sure I'll talk to you later."

"Oh, yeah, Happy Birthday," Clarissa said. Just then, more people stared arriving. 


	5. Part One: Five

Chapter five

"Come on, Clarissa, you have to eat dinner. It's the best food you've ever tasted," Millerna. They were sitting in the banquet hall 

"I don't feel so great. Dinner wouldn't help." She kneeled beside me.

"What's wrong? Come on you can tell me, I have experience at this stuff."

"Yeah, I know, but you know I know how to handle it best. Why don't I just go back to my room? It's better for me to wait it out."

"Ok, I'll have someone bring you your food," she sighed. Clarissa walked back down the hallway and to her room. She sat on the edge of the bed, looking out the window at the starry night sky. Many rooms were lit, like her's, in the city below. The light flickered in the room, silhouetting her face. 

__

God, why do I have to be so mean! I don't care if Vaughn loves me or not, he can't realize that you can't really love someone in five days, or however long it's been. I hate it; I hate how Grandma gave me this pendent. I hate how I came here. . . . but I can't leave. Somehow everything fascinates me. I can't get away. But Vaughn, there's something different about him than all the rest, and there's something different in the air. Maybe it's just that the air isn't polluted, like back home. What an asshole, how can Vaughn say stuff like that to me. You can't love someone in five days. 

There was a knock on the door, and Clarissa didn't dare turn around, knowing it was Vaughn. "Come in," she finally pushed herself to say. He came in and sat down beside her on the bed. 

***Editor's note***--I would like to apologize if there's any I's in any place they're not supposed to be in. I've been writing a lot in first person, and this is just about the only story that's in third person. I plan to make a website soon exhibiting them all. Another note: I might put an excerpt from on of my stories somewhere in here. Keep reading, and I apologize for any mistakes!****

"Clarissa, I really am sorry, I know you're probably thinking I'm an asshole or something, but Clarissa," Vaughn apologized.

"I know, Vaughn." Clarissa sighed, "Vaughn, I'm sorry, too." They sat there for what seemed like forever.

"Clarissa, remember when I first found you?"

"I guess, it seemed like a really long time ago. Too many things have happened I can't really comprehend it all, but yeah, I guess so."

"Well, remember how you said you got your pendent from you're grandmother? And you said how you'd tell me the story sometime? I want to hear it."

"Well, I don't know Vaughn; it's a really long story. I don't know if we can get through it tonight."

"Clarissa, I have nothing else to do. I'd rather listen to your story then go to this guy's birthday party. I mean he can really be a boring guy."

She smiled, "Well, ok. It all started two years ago when I got this pendent form my grandmother," she held up the pendent, "for my birthday. She had always told me stories about Gaea, and how she went there before. Adventure stories about how she went to Fanelia once and she had to battle these people and met the king and all. Of course, I knew they weren't true. Made up lands and fairy tales and such were never true, and there went many countries that had a monarchy as a government nowadays. You would never find "prince charming", and that's the way it was, you couldn't expect a fairy tale on Earth, and besides, they're wasn't any other planets, and NASA was sure they wouldn't find any with intelligent life on it. Back then, people thought of aliens as one-eyed one-horned purple people eaters, but they were crazy. I always knew I was different form them. I was more sensible, more serious then all of the other kids in school. They always knew when to point that out. 

"Then, the year that I went to high school, and this was one of those good college like high schools that had campus like grounds. It was very different from my cheap middle school, with the tiles on the floor that would pop out, and the ceiling that would leak every time it rained. It was really nice, and everyone there was good and mature. That was the year my grandmother gave me the pendent. I got it for my birthday, and she said that it was from Gaea, and stupid me, I still didn't believe her, neither did my parents. They always told her to stop telling my silly fairy tales, and how I was already a daydreamer.

"A couple months later, I can't recall when, but then I stared having these dreams. Dreams about Gaea, and everything in it. I had dreams about the Great War a lot, too. I knew it was Gaea from what my grandmother had told me about. Then I got my powers, telekinesis, it started with moving stuff in my room, and I could lock the doors and all I had to do was think about it. My dreams came more often and soon I was having them every night. This really odd, seeing that all of my dreams came true and were nothing like what I was experiencing. Then in one of my dreams I saw Hitomi, the stories on the news had been about her a lot, the mysterious missing girl that had been swallowed up by a column of light. Then one night, I didn't have a dream about Hitomi and the Great War, and I didn't have a dream about Gaea the next night or the next, and I was staring to get worried. I started believing in Gaea more and more, wanting my dreams to come back. Waiting each day for the dreams to come. I knew I had to talk to Hitomi when she got back, if she got back. I was probably the only one who knew where she was. I had to ask her about Gaea. I waited each day until I found out that she was back, the news was all over it, and she had interviews 24/7. I couldn't realize how she was keeping up with grades and track. 

"One day she opened up an e-mail account, and I knew I had to e-mail her. Titling it 'Gaea', I sent to her an e-mail that said something like 'I know what happened in Gaea, Hitomi, I need to know more about Gaea. I need to know what happened.' I waited and waited and a month later she responded, 'How do you know?' I wrote, 'My pendent, it has a power. Meet me Rockefeller Square, New York, Sunday.' She was there, of course, I didn't put a time on the note, but I knew when she was going to be there. I came up behind her and said. 'It's a bit chilly today; too bad we're not in Gaea'. She immediately started telling me about Gaea, and asking me questions about how I knew. I told her about the pendent, and how it gave me a gateway into Gaea from my dreams. I asked her how the Great War ended. We talked every Sunday after that. She told me about everyone, and of course, I was the only one who she could tell, other people wouldn't believe her. They wouldn't believe about Gaea, and if everyone knew, then they would try to find a way to get here and try to take over this world. 

"I tried to get here, too, using Hitomi's method, but our pendants were different, even though they came from the same world, they were very different. I could never get here, no matter how hard I tried. It was impossible, but I knew in my heart that I would meet everyone on Gaea that she had told me about. And a day later, my grandmother died, I didn't cry much, because I wasn't a person that cried very often. I just prayed that she would go to heaven, and be happy, thanking her for the pendent. I told Hitomi about it, too.

"Then one night, I had a dream about Hitomi, not in Gaea, though. She was on an airplane, and in my dream, it crashed. She had died and there was nothing that I could do. I knew that she had died, and there was nothing I could do, Vaughn, do you know how that feels? You didn't know that she was going to die the next day, and you couldn't tell here, or warn her or anything, Vaughn, you don't know how it feels, to have one of your best friends die," Clarissa told. Tears streamed down her eyes as she buried herself into Vaughn's shoulder. He cradled her as a single tear came down his eye, too. 

Finally, Vaughn said, "Clarissa, you have to go on. Hitomi would've wanted me to know. Clarissa, please, continue." She wiped her eyes on the sleeve of her dress and continued with her story.

"Well, I sent many e-mails to her, but they were never retunered. I convinced myself that she hadn't died, and that I was finally having normal dreams, but still, my e-mails were never returned. A month later, there was no such e-mail address as 'Hitomigirl101' anymore. I knew it, and they had the crash on the news, too. They didn't know that she had died in the crash, they just thought she was 'missing' again. They didn't find out until a year later that she had actually died in the crash, and that she was never coming back, but I already knew. No dreams came back to me. I never dreamed about Gaea again, I was the only one on Earth that knew about Gaea. I would never be able to share Hitomi's story with someone that knew about Gaea. I was the only one. 

"Soon after, my life went on without her. My grades picked up and I was doing well in school. Every now and then, I would think about Hitomi, and wish I was in Gaea, knowing I would never get here. I would promise her that I would get there someday and tell you. 

"Then one day, I was walking to one of the classes, I think it was Algerbra two, and a flower blew it's way onto my pile of books that I had in my arms. I sat down, looking at it, noticing that it wasn't from around here. I was wondering where it came from, when Gaea came into my mind, I got sucked up by a column of light and dropped in Fanelia. That's when you found me," Clarissa ended. The moon had disappeared in the sky, and the lights in the city below were long gone. The candle light in the room had dimmed.

"Clarissa, I never knew. Why didn't you say anything before?" Vaughn asked.

"I don't know. Maybe, . . .. .. ... ..... no, never mind. Forget I said it."

"Clarissa? I'm sorry I asked you. I didn't know."

"No, Vaughn. I had to tell someone. No one on Earth would understand how I felt at that moment. I guess, it was good I told someone."

"Well, it's really late, I guess I better get going. See you tomorrow then?" Vaughn suggested.

"Yeah, well, yeah," she sighed as Vaughn left, "No," she spoke before he could shut the door, "Vaughn, please, stay."

"What?" he questioned.

"Vaughn, I want you to stay," she repeated.

"Clarissa, you know I can't stay. I mean, I am the king and everything. I...I can't, Clarissa."

"I know," she sighed, "But, Vaughn, I'm really upset. I mean, I've never talked to anyone about it before, and it never made me said, but Vaughn, you must be sad. I know what she means to you. Hitomi told me, I mean, who else could she tell. No one else knew about it. Vaughn," she wiped a tear from her eye, "Vaughn, you have to be sad. Maybe it just didn't hit you like it hit me, but talking about Hitomi makes me feel like I could of done something for her. I could've stopped her from getting on the plane, but I didn't." Vaughn came back into the room, shuting the door behind him.

"Clarissa, I guess I can't deny it, but I know what it's like to lose Hitomi. It's happened twice. We decided it was the best thing for her to go back, she had all her family and I couldn't think of a way for me to go there. I know what it's like to lose people, I've lost a lot. I know there's--"

"I know, too. My mom and dad died when I was about two years old. I think about them every night. I remember when they died, these people came and took all of my belongings. They said I was going on a trip to my grandmother's. A long trip, at that. I never went back to that house, and I stayed with my grandmother all the rest of my life. That's how I knew about Gaea so fondly. She always told me those stories. Then when she died, they never gave me a direction. They put me in an orphanage until I turned eighteen. Then they let me go. My grandmother had paid for the school the first year, so I continued going there. Now I have no one left, no one to turn to. Some of these few nights, I've considered staying in Gaea. It would be for the best. I know that no one would proclaim me missing, since I lived with no one. Nobody has cared about me my whole life. So, seriously, I know how you feel."

"That's ok, I don't need the 'I know how you feel' thing right now. You don't need to say anything to me. I know that you want me to stay. All that's happened has just been weird. I hope everyone's ok."

"Vaughn, I know that you're saying 'I hope everyone's ok', for only one reason, you everything in Fanelia isn't ok. For all I know, the town and the castle could be burnt to ashes."

"But you don't know Fanelia, the way I do. You don't even know about the people in Fanelia."

"Ok, so I don't, but the fact is, they destroyed Fanelia, and not to mention Palace. We don't even know who the people are that are after you. We can't go back to Fanelia, because they'll be waiting for us there. I'm sorry if my history is getting in the way of this. I just don't want it to happen again, Vaughn."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Nothing, you wouldn't understand. Still, the problem is, is that they'll track us down, like they did the last time. It won't stay the same, and we can't keep hidding. I've told this to you already, Vaughn, we can't keep running. I know you can fight. Maybe not an army, but I know you can fight."

"Clarissa, everything will be fine. I don't know how, or why, but I know that everything will be fine. Can't you feel it?"

"What I feel is lose, pain, and destruction. That's all I see in my future."

"Clarissa, listen to me, don't you remember that kiss?" he asked.

"Yeah, well, I'm sorry I was so selfish," she apologized.

"Selfish? Why?" 

"Well....nothing. Yes, I remember."

"Well, anyway, I know that I wasn't the one that kissed you. I know that you want me to stay, so I will. I don't care sbout what's happened over the past few days. I don't care about anything else, either. You just asked me to stay, so I will. I know you're sad about Hitomi's death, even though it was a year ago. I just want you to know that after your story, I felt sad about her death, too. No one else would understand about her. I never thought anyone besides me knew her so well."

"Because, they wouldn't understand. They didn't know her as much as you. I don't cry much, but Hitomi was special," Clarissa said.

"Hitomi was special. My life changed so much when she left. I didn't talk much before the war. I don't really talk a lot now, either."

"But, you do, you talk a lot to me. Why is that Vaughn?"

""I don't know, I guess I could talk to you to make up for the silence between me and Hitomi. You remind me too much of her, even though your nothing like her. I was wishing it was he that came in the column of light, but I never knew it was you." Clarissa was staring into space. _Probably thinking about something_, Vaughn thought. "Clarissa, what are you thinking?" he wondered.

It took a while for her to realize that Vaughn was actually talking to her, "Huh?" 

"Never mind. I just asked you what you were thinking."

"Sorry," she paused, "I was thinking about Hitomi a year ago. You were talking about her, and, yeah, sorry." She held the tears back form her eyes, even though they were coming anyway. She started to cry, trying to wip the tears from her cheeks.

"Don't cry, Hitomi's probably somewhere safe. You knew her better than I did," Vaughn confessed. She started to cry more, and laid her head on Vaughn's shoulder. It felt heavy to Vaughn. "Clarissa, eveything's ok. Your fine. Hitomi's happy. Clarissa please don't cry. It makes me feel like I did something wrong." She took her head off of his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, I...I didn't want you to feel like that. I don't want to talk about Hitomi, or anything that's happened in the last few days." She laid down on the bed, "It's early in the morning, and I'm sorry I kept you up so late." Clarissa yawned.

"Maybe you should get some rest. You look really tired."

"No," she yawned again, "I'm fine, really."

"Clarissa, get some rest."

"Ok, but remember, you promised me you'd stay."

"I know. I wasn't planning on leaving." With one more yawn, she closed her eyes and went to sleep.

Vaughn was sitting in a chair, with his legs up on the desk, and his head tilted forward, with his eyes closed. _Asleep, I suppose_, Clarissa thought when she woke up. He had kept his promise of staying. _There's nothing to do now_, she thought as she picked out the dirt from underneath her fingernails, _I wish he would wake up_. She sat on the edge of the bed, looking out the window at the city below. It felt a little bit cold inside the room. _Maybe Vaughn's cold, too._ There was a big silence in the room, which they didn't have last night. She continued looking at the people outside, getting up this early, and setting up their shops in the streets. 

"What are you looking at?" Vaughn asked from across the room. 

"Something I could look at untill you woke up,"she answered.

"So I'm awake. Sorry I slept so long."

"Yeah, I know, I was tired too, you just didn't show it. What about breakfast?"

"Too early, but I suppose we could go now," he answered, getting up out of his chair. 

"No, I'd rather wait." There was a long pause between the two of them. Small talk was nice, but not nessecary. Clarissa just sat there for awhile, staring out the window. Time passed, but Vaughn felt like it was forever. He stode behind Clarissa, watching her gaze. She seemed so patient to him. Every breeze that came un the window, ruffled her hair. She sighed, "It reminds me of back home. Well, not in a bad sense, anyway. It was so quiet in Grandmother's house. I had no siblings to annoyed me. It was so peaceful." 

"Well, I think it's time to leave. Breakfast will be ready soon." He didn't want to talk about her life on the Mystic Moon. It made him think too much about Hitomi. _It might even make her think too much about everyone she's lost_, Vaughn mentioned to himself. They headed down the hall to breakfast. 

~~*~~

"No, it isn't possible. They couldn't of found us yet. No one could've suspected our plans," Vaughn replied, going into a rage.

"Suspect the unsuspected," Clarissa quietly mentioned in a whisper to herslef.

"Well, it's true and we have to get out of here now!" Millerna suggested.

"Then I guess we have to leave," Vaughn agreed.

"No, I'm not leaving tonight. They can come get us if they want, I don't even care," Clarissa replied, "I told you before, I'm not running!" She stomped off to her room, closing the door behind her. The sky was getting dark. 

"Clarissa," Vaughn sighed. 

"No, Vaughn, I'm not leaving tonight. Not tonight."

"We have to leave. It's better to run that fight."

"Vaughn, only cowards run."

"Only cowards fight."

"Shouldn't you be caring about your kingdom now?"

"There's nothing left to care about."

"Well, we don't even know who we're up against. I'm not leaving."

"We have to leave, Clarissa!" Vaughn yelled.

"I told you no!" I chair came up of the ground and floated in midair a second before slamming into the door.

"Fine, but Clarissa, I only want to protect you."

"Then it's settled. We're staying tonight."

"But we're leaving tomorrow morning."

"Fine."

"Fine," Vaughn said as he left. 

__

Thank goodness, fighting with him takes away all of my energy, Clarissa thought. She closed her eyes and laid on the bed. "Ahh--!" Clarissa screamed, but she was cut off by a hand that muffled her screaming. Another hand knocked her out as they went out the window, into the darkness of the night. 


	6. Part One: Six

Chapter six

A feather was tickling her nose. Clarissa didn't realize where she was, "Stop Vaughn, I want to go back to sleep." She suddenly opened her eyes and sat upright tring to pull away from the ropes that held her. 

"So, it's finally awake," said a voice from the shadows.

"It? IT? EXCUSE me, but I am not an 'it'!" Clarissa exclaimed.

"I will call you whatever I wish," the voice was very snake-like, "So, you know King Vaughn of Fanelia?"

"Yeah, so what's wrong with that?"

"Exactly the specimen I wanted."

"Specimen? What a sec, you think I'm going to go through your little tests like a lab rat? I don't think so. Just because I'm from the Mystic Moon doesn't make me anymore liable for your stupid tests," Clarissa made clear.

"The Mystic Moon? We'll have to take this one back to the lab," the voice was laughing as it walked away.

__

Specimen? Yeah, right, Clarissa thought. It was still night. A fire crackled in the distance, and she could hear some people talking. _Great, just great. _Clarissa then realized that she was in a cage. "Great! You @$#^%&$*($#&! Why'd you have to choose me? Huh?" 

"You know there's no use calling names," someone said behind her.

"Well, what are you supposed to do? Sit and rot?" Clarissa answered, she turned around, putting her back against the bars of the cage.

"Your bleeding," She looked down at her arm that had blood all over it.

"Oh, great! Now it's probably gonna get infected and it's all my fault because I didn't notice it. You know, _now_ it hurts."

"I can help with it," he tore a peice of fabric off of his shirt and tied it around her wound.

"Thanks. Now what do we do?" she asked. 

"Well, if you want out, you'll have to work with me," he said. 

"Fine," Clarissa agreed, "Well, I can get out on my own, but I suppose I can help you. I mean no one deserves to get locked in a cage. Plus, I don't know my way around Gaea. You've already heard I'm from the Mystic Moon. I don't want to be a lab specimen. I'm Clarissa."

"My name's Tren," he said, "So how are you going to get out?"

"Well, first, when my eyes ajust to the dark, I can see what's holding us in here," she paused, "And that would be now. So just a chain? Not too hard."

"Well, yeah, not too hard with my sword, but without it, I'm useless."

"Ok, well that's nice. I guess it all depends on me now."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"It's my power, something I got stuck with. I've never used it when I wasn't mad. I never had a purpose to use it. It just came and scared everyone off when I got mad."

"You want to try it?"

"Not sure, maybe,"she yawned, "I'm tired of thinking, maybe a dream will tell me something."

"I'm not sure it's such a good idea. It's nighttime, when you wake up, it might be morning. We'd have to wait another day."

"Ok, I'll try," she agreed. Clarissa concentrated her energy on unlocking the door. Suddenly there was a click as the chain broke. They crept silently out into the night. 

~~*~~

Vaughn knocked on Clarissa door the next morning. "Clarissa, I'm really sorry. I know that you want to stay, but we agreed to leave today. We have to leave, Clarissa," he paused for a moment, "Clarissa? You there? Clarissa?" He turned the door knob. Locked. "Clarissa, I'm sorry, but would you open up the door!" No answer. Vaughn busted the door open. "Clarissa?!" He noticed she wasn't here. The bed didn't even look like it had been slept in. The white linen only looked like it had the slightest wrinkle in it.

Something made him cold though. A breeze from the open window brushed against his skin. _Clarissa liked to look out the window. She probably left because of me. Not letting her have her way. _He walked over to the window, shutting it. _Well, I can't let her run on her own. She doesn't even know how to nagivate in Gaea._ Vaughn noticed something on the wood next to the window. Blood. _Clarissa's? Someone else's? Kidnapped?_ Maybe Vaughn was worrying, but there was plenty of other things to worry about. 

Allen made his way down the hallway, looking for Vaughn. If they were going to leave, it had to be now. He came walked past Clarissa's room, but then backed up, realizing that Vaughn was there. Vaughn was standing in front of the window. "Where's Clarissa?" Allen asked.

"She's gone. Someone kidnapped her."

"Well, they couldn't've gotten far. I'll send out a search party for the surrounding areas," he sighed, "Vaughn? You gonna be ok?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'll be fine." Allen left the room. Vaughn still stode at the window staring out into the city below. _Where are you? Clarissa, I don't wnat to lose you like I did Hitomi._ He walked away from the window, following Allen to help with the search party.

~~*~~

"Try not to leave a trail. They'll find us eaiser if you do," Tren stated. 

"I'll try,"she promised. _It would be a lot harder for Vaughn to find me, too,_ "So were are we going."

"Anyplace away from here. Can't stay in the same place for too long." They kept walking in the forest brush. 

"Why don't we go to a city? There's lots of people there, and they wouldn't really recognize us," she suggested.

"That's what I was planning to do."

"You don't talk much do you?" Clarissa was getting bored. There was something about Tren that he didn't want to tell her. Secrets. We all keep them. Some are more dangerous to know than others. Vaughn had secrets, too. Clarissa looked out into the distance. _It's really getting warmer in the forest._ She squinted looking out at the horizen. It was really hard to see anything in the forest. The sun was almost up, and Clarissa could see Tren's face clearly. He had blonde hair, and his sword was slung across his back at an angle. It was bigger than most of the swords she had seen before. It looked really heavy, but she didn't recognize the metal it was made from. The sword seemed to shine and glisten in colors of white and blue, unlike any other sword she had seen. _Must be really powerful_, she thought. 

"Only when I have to."

"Huh?" The end of the shrubbery was in sight. They walked out onto the grass, some spots of the grass darker than others. Clarissa could faintly see a city in the distance. "There's a city in the distance," Clarissa informed, "Tren? Would it seem weird if I..., never mind. It would seem weird."

He didn't say anything. Clarissa didn't even know if he actually cared. He probably didn't it was a stupid idea anyway. _Forget it_, Clarissa told herself. They neared the edge of the city. It was early morning, and the sun was reflecting off the window panes in the houses. 

"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea," Clarissa announced.

"Shut up!" They walked into the city, trying to act like common civilians. 

"Oh, shit!" Clarissa spoke. She saw the people that were looking for them. Looking in all the directions, with swords at their sides. She grabbed Tren's arm. "Don't act suspicious, they might notice us. Just walk really slowly this way." She turned him in a different direction, but the soldiers had already noticed them. They rushed over to Clarissa and Tren. Clarissa expected to be captured on the spot, but Tren already had his sword in his hands and was massacring the soldiers off like cats on mice. 

Clarissa felt someone grab her around the waist from behind, putting her over their shoulder and carrying her off. "Tren!!!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. He turned around to see what the problem was, but was instantly knocked out by the last soldier from behind him. Clarissa realized that she was the only person that could do something. She had to protect herself. She looked for a weapon on the person that was carrying her away. She couldn't find anything at all, and decided to kick the person in the stomach. They doubled over in an amount of pain. They ran off down the corridor, out of the town. Clarissa ran over to Tren, picking up a dagger from a dead soldier, stabbing the last one. 

Clarissa knelt over the unconscious Tren. 

~~*~~

"Any luck with the search?" Vaughn asked. They were still in Melaso, trying to find Clarissa. It was still ealry morning. Vaughn knew that they're would be anything yet.

"No nothing, we're almost to the town of Keln." Someone came to Allen on horseback reporting news.

"We've found an abandoned campsite. Fire's still burning. No one's in sight. Following the tracks even now." The reporter spoke.

"Thank you," Allen sent him off, "You think this kidnapping has anything to do with our 'mysterious' enemy?"

"Probably, can't see why we can't suspect whoever this might be. They're our enemy anyway you look at it."

"Well, whoever it is, there's something going on. But first we have to find Clarissa," Allen suggested.

"Yeah, keep searching."

~~*~~

"Tren!" Clarissa yelled. She still nelt over his unconcous body, trying to get him to wake up. "Tren?!" She gasped heavily out of weariness. She could hardly breath now beacause of the fighting and yelling. Clarissa collapased on Tren out of exaustion.

There they lay, amide the dead soldiers. Both of them unconcious and no one to help them.

_Too bad I woke up, _Clarissa thought, _Once I open my eyes, that will be the end. Then I'll have to get on that plane thing and fly to another town. Vaughn, why'd you have to do this? _Clarissa was thinking she was still in Melaso. Still at the castle, but she had much more to worry about than getting on the airship and leaving. She had to get back to Vaughn, well maybe she didn't, but it felt like she did. Right now she was stuck with Tren. And the last thing she could remember was her trying to awaken Tren, but she couldn't. _Tren!_ Clarissa suddenly thought. She opened her eyes, to find that.....she was in the town's inn. She wasn't in Melaso anymore. _Oh great, now I'm sounding like Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz! 'Well, we're not in Kansas anymore'. I haven't even been to Kansas! _"Tren?" Clarissa asked.

"Hmm?" he asked.

"What happened?"

"I don't know. When I woke up, you were unconcous. Clarissa, no one's here."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that no one's here. No one. In the whole town. In any of the houses. No one."

"Well, that's strange, but Tren? We have to go to Melaso."

"It's gonna take us five days on foot. Are you sure you want to go?" He informed.

"I'm not sure."

"You don't like traveling?" He asked.

"I haven't decided yet. It's just that we really _need_ to go to Melaso. Tren, I got kidnapped from there. You know I'm not from there, but I need to go back."

"So, there's one thing I have to know. What happened? I thought you were gone."

"You thought I was dead?" She asked surprisingly.

"Not what I ment."

"Oh, you thought I was kidnapped! No I kicked that guy in the stomach and ran of to stop the other soldier from killing you. I tried to get you to wake up, but nothing worked. I was so tired. I mean all of the walking and fighting and yelling your name. I was sure you would of heard me, but I collapsed."

"Oh, so, why do we have to go to Melaso?" Tren asked curiously.

"They're waiting for me there. They've probably already sent out a seach team to go find me. Maybe it won't take five days, maybe we'll run into them."

"Whose 'they'?"

"A lot of people. Umm, Vaughn, and Millerna, and Allen, everyone that escaped with us from Fanelia."

"Oh, Lord Vaughn, figures."

"What do you mean 'figures'," Clarissa asked.

"He's the one that found you. I suppose with the collum of light and everything, he thought it was Hitomi."

"Hitomi died."

"Whatever. Why would I care?"

"I dunno. Maybe because you're going to come with me to Melaso?" she begged.

"Yeah, but first we need supplies. You go search some of the houses for food."

"Isn't that stealing, Tren?"

"Not if they aren't here. Just go find food unless you want to starve. You getting on my nerves the way you want everything your way."

"Sorry, it's just that sometimes I act too serious. I never want that to happen."

"It's good to be serious. Now go get food!" _Gosh, he's probably the violent type. Jerk. _She walked out the door to go search for food. 

The town _was_ quiet. Clarissa knocked on one of the doors, but then she realized what Tren had said, no one was here. The door was unlocked, so she went in. It was like everyone had disappeared. Dirty dishes were left by the sink waiting to get washed. Clarissa looked in the cupboards looking for some food that would last a long time. The meat was rotting, it was like they had been gone for over a month. There was some crackers and other stored food, but everything else seemed to have gone bad. Clarissa searched other houses looking for more, but there was only the same thing. There was things in the market that were still left out, like they hadn't even planned to go anywhere, but they had to. 

She ran over to Tren. "Tren?"

"Find anything?" he asked looking around like he was trying to find something. Clarissa ignored it though.

"Some stuff, most of the food wasn't any good. I tried to find something, but there wasn't much. Just enough to last five days, but I don't think that it'll take that long to get there."

"Good, ok, tell me if this feels too heavy," he said, giving me a sword. 

"No, not really," I lied. 

He took it away from me, "Ok, then you get the daggers." _He knew it was too heavy for me. Why'd he give it to me in the first place?_

"Ok?" I questioned the decison, but took the daggers from him anyway, "Lets go."

"You sure you want to go?" Tren asked.

"Tren, at this point, I can't do anything else." They headed off to Melaso. 

~~*~~

"Vaughn," Celena seemed to be reading Vaughn's mind, "We'll find her," she spoke confidentally. 

"I know, but how long? How long will it take?" Vaughn asked.

"I'm not sure, but you can't rely on one day for them to find her."

"I'm not worried about finding her," Vaughn explained.

"Oh, you're worried about _her_, aren't you?"

"I'm not sure. I don't know where to go."

"Vaughn, I'm sure she's ok," Celena assured him as she walked out the door. Vaughn was left to think. _Where was she? Was she ok? How would we find her?_ Just then a messanger ran into the room. Vaughn looked up.

"We just got into the town of Keln. There's five dead soliders from what we know, but they're the only people there, dead or alive."

to be the same way it used to be when... never mind."

"Ok, I'll tell you," Tren sighed, "Two years ago, when I was seventeen, I got captChapter seven

"Are you sure we're going the right way? We should of caught up with them by now," Clarissa asked.

"Don't yell at me, I toke the shortcut," Tren admitted.

"Tren! How do I know that you're not leading me in the wrong direction?"

"Well, I guess you'll just have to trust me."

"So it won't take five days?" Clarissa asked.

"It will if you keep walking at that pace."

"Tren! Tell me the truth!"

"It will only take a few hours to get to Melaso, but we could get sidetracked."

"Oh, well, good!" They didn't talk much for the rest of the walk. It only took a few hours to get to Melaso, and they didn't get sidetracked. Tren and Clarissa arrived at the palace gates. 

"You don't understand! You have to let me in. They're looking for me. There's no use looking because I'm here. Just let me talk to Vaughn." Clarissa was negotiating with the guard at the gate. "Just go get him! I have to get back." The guard dissapeared into the castle. "Thank you!" Tren leaned on the wall. "Yeah, and, you coming too?" 

"What makes you think I'm going to come?"

"Well my mind tells me that you are, satisified?" 

"Well, are we going to go in, or not?" he asked. 

"They're in the back, most likely, but what if they aren't. No, patience is a vurtue, so we wait." The guard came back, and let us into the castle. As soon as he opened the gate, she ran into the castle, leaving Tren behind. She ran past most of the rooms, going to the gardens and the back gate of the castle. She came out of the balcony spotting the search party, and Vaughn, in the distance. She ran down the steps, almost tripping. Many people in the gardens looked at here when she ran past them. 

She finally got to Vaughn, "Why'd you have to be so far away?" She asked. Vaughn turned around. He was surprised that it was Clarissa.

"Clarissa?" His eyes were wide. She huged him, "How did you get here?"

"I don't want to explain. I'm just glad that I'm back." She kept hugging him, until he stopped her.

"I'll call off the search party. Wait here, I don't want you to go running off again." He ran over to Allen, and told him to call back the search party, she's here. The walked back over to Clarissa.

"So what happened? How'd you get back?" Allen asked.

"It was hard, but someone did help me." Perfect timing, Tren came. "This is Tren," She said. No one spoke. Both Vaughn and Allen were taken aback. "What? Something wrong?" 

"Well, maybe Tren should say something about this," Allen said.

"Tren? What?" Clarissa was confused.

"It's nothing," Tren answered.

"Clarissa, he's King Basram's older brother. He's been gone a long while," Allen turned his head to Tren, "How long was it? Two years?"

"Tren? Is it true?" Clarissa asked.

"Yeah, two years. I'm back," he simply said.

"Then what's the problem?" Clarissa asked again.

"Clarissa, people just don't disappear and reappear after two years," Vaughn explained.

"You guys, stop. It's not like he did anything wrong. Did you?" Clarissa was confused.

"Maybe we should have lunch," Allen said, "Just the four of us."

~~*~~

They sat at the dining table in the castle, waiting for their food to be brought out. Clarissa couldn't get it into her head.

"So where were you, Tren?" Allen asked.

"No! I don't want it to be like this! No interagation!" The all the forks on the table went straight up in the air, but safely landed back in the same place. "Sorry. But no interagation. Whatever Tren wants to tell us, he tells us. I don't want it ured from this castle. I don't know who captured me, and I'll probably never know, but somehow, I got away. I was running through the woods when I came apon a collumn of light. It extended far beyond what I could see. I ran over to it and walked in through the collumn of light, at least I thought I did, but I ended up on the Mystic Moon. I never believed that it was the Mystic Moon until I noticed the people, that's when I knew it was true. I knew that I never was going to get back, so I got a job, I don't remember where, but I got enough money that year to support myself. It was enough for me because I still had enough faith that I still thought that I would get back to Melaso. 

"One day, I was walking through the city, and I noticed that there was a collumn of light. I ran over to it and stepped inside and I ended up in Gaea. Then someone captured me and I met Clarissa. We escaped that night, and went to a small town, I forget the name. A couple of soldiers came and tried to get us, but we killed them. One of them knocked me unconcous, and then I woke up, and Clarissa was unconcous, too. So I put her in one of the beds in the inn. No one was there, in the whole town. We left the next day."

"You went to Gaea? How is it that everytime a collumn of light appears, it's always near you?" Clarissa asked. Allen was inarticulate, so was Vaughn. Then the food came, "So that explains everything. It explains why you didn't freak out when you knew that I was from Earth." They ate their meal in peace, and went back to their rooms. Vaughn stopped Clarissa on her way. 

"You might not want to be in your old room, they're putting up a new window," he explained.

"Where's my backpack?" Clarissa asked.

"I have it. I knew you'd want it," he paused, "Clarissa, I'm glad you're back." Vaughn smiled. 

She hugged him again, "I missed you," she whispered, "All of the confusion makes my head hurt." She yawned.

"There isn't any other free rooms. Melaso's a very crowded castle."

"Oh, well, then you know what the only choice is," Clarissa said. She knew what the only choice is.

"Then you can sleep in my room, I have other things to do."

"Thank you," Clarissa said as she ran off to go get some sleep.

****Author's note- I just realized that something in Escaflowne is very wrong. I started thinking about the pendent and how Hitomi scribed for Vaughn. What's wrong is that you can't scribe for someone unless you have something that belongs to them in the same hand that you're scribing with. Thinking about him won't do much good. (I learned this from watching endless Charmed shows!)****

Clarissa tried to determine what had happened. _It's obvious that he traveled to Earth at the exact same time that Hitomi traveled back, and I traveled in. That means that only people with pendents can open portals, but any one can step through. How come there's two pendents. What is this suppose to mean? I can't make any sense of it. Forget it._ She sighed_, I'm glad I'm back, though. I'm not sure what difference it makes having Vaughn here, but it feels good. It feels _very_ good. I'm not sure what happened, but somehow, I mean more to him than I did before. Does he still love me?_ She laid back in the bed, closing her eyes. _I hope so._ Clarissa fell asleep, her pendent glowed warmly.

~~*~~


	7. Part Two: One

Part two

Chapter one

~~*~~

She woke up in Vaughn's bed that night. Outside the window, you could see the glow of Earth and it's moon. Clarissa walked out onto the balcony, feeling a a cold breeze. She shivered slightly. She could see a torch lit, being carried through the forest. Clarissa followed the glow until it stopped, and the torch was blown out. _The person is still in the middle of the forest. What are they doing?_ She watched the same spot for what seemed like forever, and finally decided to quit. Right about when Clarissa turned away, she saw something, white, large, cylinder shaped, extending towards the sky. Clarissa was shocked. _Another portal? No, can't be._ The portal didn't dissapear, but it came closer, and closer, and soon it was right in front of the balcony. Clarissa stared in awe at it, she couldn't beleive that someone opened a portal. _No, only me and Vaughn can open them._ _Vaughn._ The portal didn't close like it usually did. It just sat there, in front of Clarissa's eyes. Clarissa stepped back in surprise, someone had come out of the portal, and landed on the balcony. They came closer to Clarissa. She tried to back away, but something was holding her back. 

"I've been waiting to do this for a long time," the figure said, then stabbed Clarissa in the stomach. Clarissa fell to the ground.

~~*~~

She woke up in Vaughn's bed that night. Outside the window, you could see the glow of Earth and it's moon. Clarissa walked out onto the balcony, feeling a a cold breeze. She shivered slightly. Clarissa put her hands on the balcony, feeling the cold touch of granite. Just then, Vaughn came into the room. _What happened? _She could feel the sweat on her forehead_._

"Vaughn," she said, turning around. 

He walked up to her, "What? Something wrong?" Clarissa was sweating and panicking even more.

"Yes, something is very wrong," she explained. Clarissa fainted.

~~*~~

"I've waited a long time to see you. I've waited a long time to kill you, that too," said the figure hovering over Clarissa body. (Not really hovering, just like walking around.) "Three hundred years I've waited for this moment. I thought that you'd be stronger. No, that was easy, maybe even too easy." Clarissa panted, trying to catch her breath. She put her hand over the wound, looking up at the figure. 

"Victoria," Clarissa simply said.

"That's right, I was hoping you'd remember me. I was hoping that I'd have a good fight, too, but I guess not. See there's a problem here. I want to know what happened to you. Nice touch escaping from the other world and coming back to our old home, Charissma. Love the thing you did to that girl, what wa sher name? Oh, yes, Hitomi. I remeber how you brought her into this little gig, she wasn't a part of it. Oh, well, I guess I'll just have to go claim my victory." She walked away from Clarissa, the knife still in her hand.

"Vaughn!" Clarissa yelled.

~~*~~

"Vaughn!" Clarissa yelled again. She opened her eyes to the lights of the room. Vaughn rushed over to her. 

"Clarissa, I'm here. What is it?" he asked. She gasped for breath.

"Victoria," was all she said.

"Whose Victoria? What happened, Clarissa?" he asked.

"Victoria, she's coming for you. She stabbed me. She came through the portal back here. Came back here after three hundred years," she explained.

"What do you mean by 'back'?" 

"Back, back to Melaso. She came for me, and she's coming after you. It's Victoria," Clarissa explained.

"What really happened. Whose Victoria?" 

"Victoria. She tried to kill me three hundred years ago. She tried to kill me." 

"What really happened. You have a huge wound in your stomach, and you're telling me about someone named Victoria. Please, I want to know."

"She's Victoria! You're supposed to remember. Remember Victoria? Remember how it was three hundred years ago? Remember how it was here in Melaso?" Clarissa was asking questions that didn't make sense.

"Clarissa, how can I remember something that happened three hundred years ago? I wasn't even alive," he said sensably.

"Of course you wern't! She killed you after she killed me. She was my own sister, too!" 

"Clarissa, I need to know what's happening!" Vaughn commanded.

"We were sisters, and she betrayed me, and you in Melaso, three hundred years ago. You have to beleive me Vaughn. She tried to kill me tonight. She came back, and she remembers better than I did. I was suppose to protect her, and she killed me. Vaughn, don't let her kill you." Clarissa sounded insane, but then she spasmed and went back to sleep. 

~~*~~

"Vaughn!" Clarissa yelled again. She could feel the life being sucked out of her. Vaughn rushed through the doors.

"Clarissa? What happened?" he asked looking at Clarissa on the floor, with her hand to her stomach, blood dripping onto the floor.

"Vaughn, run, as far away as you can. She's after you and I can't let her find you," Clarissa commanded.

"No, I can't. Clarissa, I have to help you," he pleaded. Victoria came into the room.

"Too late, you can't save her now. Charissma's already dead, and she can't help you." Victoria ran over to Vaughn, revelaing her dagger at his throat, but she looked down, and saw something she didn't expect, Vaughn's sword went through her body, killing her instantly. 

Vaughn rushed over to Clarissa, "She's dead, she's not after me anymore," but Clarissa was already dead. Vaughn was crying.

~~*~~

"Vaughn!" Clarissa yelled. Her eyes adjusted to the light of the room. Vaughn was still sitting next to her. "Vaughn, it's not true is it?" she asked.

He took her hand, "No, it's ok, it's just a nightmare." 

"It was horrible, Vaughn. It felt almost ... real," she felt her stomach, the wound had healed, but there was a wound. "It was real. She killed me."

"Shhh," he comforted, "It's just a dream."

"How come I have the wound from the dream? How come?" she asked. Clarissa started to cry.

"Tell me about," he asked.

"Well, I woke up in my dream, and walked to the balcony and I saw this piller of light, and it came closer, and closer, and someone jumped out and stabbed me in the stomach. Then I woke up in your bed, and walked over to the balcony, and you came into the room and asked if anything was wrong and I said that there was. So I fainted and the dream came back. I knew her name, and......" She told the rest of the dream to Vaughn.

"It was a week ago when you said something was wrong, but everything's ok now," Vaughn assured. It was still night, though.

Clarissa nodded her head in reply, "No, wait, what happened, how come it's not ok? I had this three hundred year old Victoria chasing her sister Charissma, and I'm supposed to beleive it's just a dream?" she asked.

"It's ok," Vaughn assured, "It really is. I've been worried about you. You were waking up and then going back to sleep again. You almost died."

"No, I did die. But if I almost died then she didn't come, and I hope it was a dream," she hugged him, but was still crying, "I'm sorry. It's going to bug me for a long time what happened in this dream." 

"Why don't you tell me, then?" he asked.

"Ok, I'll try, but I'm not even sure about the whole thing myself, I'm still trying to put pieces together. Here goes, well, from what I know, and what was extracted from my memory, Victoria and I were sisters five hundred years ago. I was the heir to the throne in Melaso and somehow you were there," she paused to recolloct her thoughts, "Oh, yeah, it was because you were getting married to me. That's why she was jealous. She'd always say, 'It's because of the look you two give each other,' but the only reason why we were getting married was because of the throne. I never knew that she'd kill me, it was all a plan. There's someone else I keep forgeting, and I can't remember them still."

"It's ok, you don't have to remember everything. It'll come back to you," he assured.

"That's what I'm afraid of. If I go back to sleep, something worse might happen, something that might be connected to this world and time," Clarissa thought for a second, "I want to see portraits. We always had portraits," she smiled getting up off the bed, signaling for Vaughn to come along. They walked with a candle down the hallway, inspecting the portraits from times past. "It's still earlier than these. I can't believe how long ago it was." She paused in front of a portrait resembling a girl with black hair, _no not a girl, she looks about my age, though_, Clarissa thought. "That's her, that's Victoria," she looked to her left, "and that's me, and if Victoria and Charissma are her, then the person I'm missing is....." 

She looked to the right of her portrait, and was about to read the name when Vaughn said something, "Hitomi," he whispered. Clarissa was shocked. 

"Hitomi? Are you sure. No, she has nothing to do with this," Clarissa was denying the truth. She looked at the picture again, but it was her. The portrait's face looked exactly like Hitomi's. Clarissa looked for other possible solution, but Hitomi was her sister.

"Hitomi is your older sister. Why wasn't she set to rule the throne?" he asked.

"She was supposed to rule, but Victoria killed her the night before your marrige," She explained.

"I don't get it. How come I was marrying you instead of her?" he asked.

"You weren't. At least not then. I saw the end of it and tried to help her, but there was nothing I could do. Victoria turned around and chased me out of the room. She still had the knife in her hand. She ran out of the castle because she was ashamed of what she did. Then you went into the room, and I came back to it, but she was already dead. You were about to kill yourself over her, but I stopped you. Said there was more ment to life than what was already played." Clarissa started to cry. Vaughn was speechless. She leaned up against the wall, dropping the candle, but luckly, since the floor was stone, it didn't cause a fire. The hall went black. Clarissa sunk to the cold stone floor still crying.

"You ok?" Vaughn asked.

"Yeah," she stopped crying, wiping off the tears still on her face. Her eyes adjusted to the light, but there really wasn't no need since someone was coming down the hallway, probably looking for them. Clarissa took a dagger from the sheath on her leg, standing back up. She held the tip of it, pointing it at the coming light about to throw it at the person. They came around the corner and she threw it at them. It was Tren! He caught the dagger an inch away from his face. Clarissa started to cry again, sitting on the stone again. 

"What are you doing up so late?" he asked.

"Looking for evidence," Clarissa answered, wiping her face again. Tren slid the dagger on the floor to Clarissa. She picked it back up, putting it back in it's sheath. 

"It's been a long time since you stayed this long. What happened? Heard you were dead," he asked.

"It's just a conflict with my past," Clarissa thought,_ Tren's royalty, too. Maybe I should tell him about it. _"Tren, you ever here of these people?" She asked pointing to the portraits. 

He walked up to them, studing them closely, "Yeah, we have a lot of books of those three sisters. Said it was some sort of foretelling. They don't talk about it much at the castle. Don't see why. You can see the books if you like."

"Well, I don't know. It's really late," Vaughn said.

Clarissa glared at him, "Yeah, we'd like to see the books."

"Tomorrow," Vaughn added.

"Ok, it's only three," Tren said. He walked back down the hall. 

Clarissa slapped Vaughn.

Vaughn had a puzzled expression on his face, "What?"

"Right when we were getting somewhere. Vaughn! Why'd you have to put it off untill tomorrow? We'll probably never find the books now!" Clarissa stormed off to Vaughn's room. She layed down on the bed when Vaughn came in. 

"Sorry, Charissma. I'm concerned about you. It is three in the morning, don't you think you should at least try to get some sleep?" Vaughn asked.

"It's ok, I understand," she confessed, "Did you just call me Charissma?" 

"No, I don't think so," he answered. 

She walked up to him, "You just called me Charissma. It doesn't matter though. Vaughn, I'm concerned about you. I mean it's not everyday that you find out that this person you like is the sister in a past life to your old girlfriend in a past life."

"Wait, I have to like you?" he asked.

"What? It's not obvious? You kissed me," she stated.

"I kissed _you_?" he laughed.

"Whatever. Anyway, something happened."

"You're going to read all day, then I suggest that you get some rest," he suggested.

Clarissa lost her confidence, "Yeah, uh, yeah, right." She layed back on the bed, putting her head back on the pillow. She shut her eyes.


	8. Part Two: Two

Chapter two

The next day she woke up to find that Vaughn had left early. He had left her a note. Clarissa read, 'Sorry I left. Tren came and said that he'd be in the library pulling out books for you. I'll be there soon.' She ran to the library across the hall. There were books in piles of about five, and Tren was still pulling some off the shelves. Dust was built up in the room.

"So, you found some stuff," she said, sitting down at the table, and opening up on of the books. 

"You shouldn't really start there. There's books all over the library. No one has time to put them back," he smiled, "You can start by reading the actual foretelling." He handed her a piece of parchment.

She read: 

__

Three sisters will be born

Peaceful, mysterious, and jealous

In the end their relationship will be torn

By the jealously of the third.

Revenge for the life she wanted

A life to wander as punishment

Until the three come once more

To settle the disspute.

The Five Hundred year battle

Will at last end.

"Wait, that's it?" Clarissa asked.

"No, there's more prophecys about each of the three sisters." Tren gave them to her. She read:

__

And Hitomi will be her name

First of the three.

Peaceful and quiet she will be.

But never a ruler to the kingdom

And Charisma will be her name

Second of the three.

Mysterious and searching she will be.

But never ruler to the kingdom.

And Victoria will be her name

Third of the three.

Angry and jealous she will be.

But never a ruler to the kingdom.

The three sisters' battle

Will last five hundred years

Until the truth is found

In the hearts of only those who seek it.

A thousand years of suffering and the diamond is still cut. A thousand years of pain and 

the blood still cries. A thousand years of hell and the truth is soon forgotten.

"Ok, so this thing was a foretelling. It would happen no matter what, but I thought that prophecies have effects on the world. I don't get it," Clarissa said after she had finished the prophecy.

"They do have an effect. Everything that we do that concerns this issue concerns the world's future. Especially if a person like Victoria rules Melaso," Tren explained.

"Tren, you really don't have to do this. I know you don't want to," Clarissa confessed.

"No, it's ok. Hey, I was up at four in the morning pulling books off the shelves. Why wouldn't I want to do this?" 

"Well, I certainly don't. All the information I've read explains everything. I just feel like I have to."

"You don't have to do it," Tren said.

"What do ou know about your past?" Clarissa asked.

"That event happened a long time ago, and I'm not even sure that they knew that Victoria killed her sisters. Like I said, they always try to change the topic when it arises."

"You haven't been back to Melaso for two years. Did you even tell them you came back."

"I think they noticed," Tren assumed.

"Yeah, sure," she said sarcastically, "Then again, there's nothing for you to do here at the castle." Clarissa paused, "You know this is boring, you really don't have to do it."

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Tren asked. 

"Sit and read," she said in monotone.

~~*~~

"What happened to that army that was chasing us?" Clarissa asked later that day when Vaughn came back. They were walking down the hall to their room.

"I don't know. I guess they haven't found us yet," he hesitated, "But, when they do, something has to happen."

"When they do get here, I hope we won't leave so that they can destroy the city again," she said, "I want to go back to Fanelia." 

"Why? There's nothing left there. Just mainly a bunch of rubble. Probably a few soldiers waiting for us to get there. Why do you want to go back?"

"What if they didn't destroy the city? What if everything's still the way it was before? What if it's not the same army that's searching for use? What if we defeated them at Fanelia and another wave went to Palace? Vaughn, please, let's go back," she pleaded.

"No, we can't take the risk," he decided.

"Vaughn, please," she put on a sad face, "please?" 

Vaughn sighed, "I guess it's no use trying to persuade you to think differently. Besides, they'll come after use anyway." 

She jumped up and down with excitment, "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" She finally calmed down. They were still walking to their room.

"Well? Are we going to leave?" Vaughn asked.

"Now?" she thought about it, but then realized that there was nothing left behind, "Ok, lets go!" They turned around an walked to the Crusade. 

~~*~~

They found Allen there. It seemed like they were going to leave.

"Why are you leaving?" Clarissa asked.

"We're not really, just checking the Crusade. Making sure everything's fine," Allen explained.

"Then we can leave?" Clarissa asked.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"We're going back to Fanelia." Clarissa said.

Allen was shocked, "What! You can't go back! There's nothing there."

Vaughn calmed him down, "It's ok, Allen. Just trust me." They boarded the Crusade and took off without any other comments. 


	9. Part Two: Three

Chapter three

Clarissa walked down the hall. _It's not like I have anything better to do. Not like Vaughn. Up there in the cockpit watching the scenery. _She looked up from the ground and remember that she was in the exact place where they had kissed. She kept walking,_ I hope we get there soon._ Vaughn was at the other side of the hallway, coming down from the oppisite side. Clarissa stood still. Vaughn stopped in front of her. Clarissa shook her head and looked up again, but he was still there, the same Vaughn. 

"How much longer?" Clarissa asked.

"I'm not sure. Not more than an hour, though," Vaughn replied.

"I ment, 'how much longer can can you go like this?'"

"I don't know what you mean," he said.

"Don't you remember? It was here. In this hallway, in this spot."

Vaughn turned his head away from her, "Yeah, I remember."

"Vaughn, do you still feel that way?" Clarissa looked at the floor.

"A lot's happened. I don't think anyone can be the same," he asnwered.

"Yeah, smae with me." she paused, still looking at the floor, "Vaughn, who are you?"

"I'm Vaughn, King of Fanelia," he answered, "and I love you." Before anything else could happen, Allen came down the hall.

"Vaughn, I think you should see this." he said. Vaughn nodded and rushed to the cockpit area, following Allen. Clarissa hesitated, but ran along with them. 

She stopped in the doorway looking out. "It's Fanelia." She was shocked. Clarissa ran up to stand next to Vaughn. 

"It's Fanelia," Vaughn repeated. It _was_ Fanelia, and it wasn't burned to the ground. No armies were there, but Fanelia's own. They landed in the hanger. Vaughn and Clarissa stepped out into the castle. 

"So we're in Fanelia. What do we do?" Clarissa asked. Her stomach growled.

"Well I think that we should have dinner," he said.

"Yeah, I'm sort of hungry anyway." The headed to one of the dining halls. 

~~*~~

Clarissa laughed when the bubbles from the champagne tickled her nose. 

"Enough for you," Vaughn said, taking the bottle from her hands and pouring him some more. The bottle was now empty.

"Look at yourself." Clarissa giggled again. She was drunk. 

"Ok, I think I can safely say that dinner is officially over." He got up from his seat and helped Clarissa out of her chair. She had a serious look on her face, but Vaughn ignored it. He helped her to the room across the hall. She still had the glass of champagne in her hand. She drank the last of it and collapsed on the bed and fell asleep. Vaughn took the glass out of her hand and kissed her on the forehead. "Good night," he said. He walked back to his own room.

~~*~~

Clarissa was in a dream. She could feel the breeze and knew that Victoria was coming. There was something different, though. Very different from what she remembered. Yes, then she finally realized that she wasn't in the Fanelian castle, but in Melaso. Victoria was there, but she wasn't dead like Clarissa had seen. Victoria was truthfully alive, and so was she. 

"Thought I was going to kill you?" she said. The knife was in a grip in her hand. "Thought that all I wanted was Vaughn. But no, I want more than that. To see the pleasure of you die is more than what I hoped for. And all I wanted to do was rule. The least likely ruler is going to be me. And I will rule forever and there's nothing you can do to stop me."

~~*~~

Clarissa's forehead was sweaty. No longer was she drunk, but she was completely pale. She got out of the bed and looked in the mirror. Clarissa couldn't help worrying. She was thinking of staying up all night, but then she realized that it was almost time to get up. The drapes were drawn and it was impossible to see anything but a ray of light that shone upon the floor. The walked over to them and opened the up, looking out into the east. She could see the sun clearly from the distance. She walked over to Vaughn's room, remembering where it was somehow. She knocked on the door and was surprised that no one answered it. _Probably some business thing. More important than my dream_, she thought. She knocked again just to make sure that he wasn't still sleeping. Vaughn opened to door. 

"I see you weren't drunk from last night," she said sarcastically. His hair was perfect. It was like he didn't even sleep. And Clarissa was thinking, _what's wrong with this picture?_

"What? It's not like you weren't either," he responded. Clarissa came into the room and shut the door behind her. 

"Yeah, but it wasn't me who was acting all not drunk. We have four bottles of wine, not including that one bottle of champagne. You don't even look like you actually went to sleep. What's wrong, Vaughn?" she asked.

"I don't know. You're the one who came her. There must be something wrong," he assumed.

"Yeah, I had another dream about Victoria. A very short one. And she did all of the talking. And we weren't even dead, but it sounded like I was," she paused to recollect thoughts, "It didn't even seem real."

"Maybe it wasn't real," he suggested.

"That's an idea. Ok, considering it wasn't real. It could be just my mind telling me something. So what do you suggest? That I just ignore it?" Clarissa asked.

"For right now, I think that's the best idea." Clarissa turned around and faced the door. "Stop being upset. It's nothing, really." He put his hand on her shoulder. 

"Your right, it's nothing," she said as she turned around and shook her head, "I'm worring too much. It just seems that their's something wrong with the castle. It seems like something shouldn't be there." Vaughn brushed her hair back from her shoulder. Clarissa stood there thinking. Vaughn was stairing at her. Clarissa finally looked up, but realized that he was stairing at her and looked back down again. _I hope he doesn't kiss me again. No, maybe he won't. I hope he does kiss me again. _She sounded confused, even to herself. _So what do I want? No, it's not about what I want, but it's about what _we_ want. I hope he kisses me. _He did. Vaughn kissed her, but Clarissa didn't know if she wanted to accept it. Vaughn realized that she wasn't kissing him back, so he stopped and put his forehead on hers. She looked down.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I don't know. Maybe, no, I'm not sure," she answered.

"Well, you did say 'maybe'. Maybe means a lot of things."

"I think I want to go back to Melaso." 

Vaughn jumped back in surprise, "We just got here! You want to go back? Already?" he asked.

"Yeah, it's just that I need to know more. I'm sorry I'm just worring too much about what's going to happen." She drew closer to Vaughn now that he'd stepped away. "Can't you do anything?" she asked. 

"Well, the Crusade needs refueling and it needs to get ready for a trip back. That will take another day. But I can't come with you." He looked at the wall to his left.

She turned his head back towards her and kept her hand on his chin. "Why not? Why can't you come?" she asked repeatedly.

"I need to help in Fanelia. I've been away too long from this place. I'm sorry," he said.

"That's ok," she sighed, "I understand." This time she drew even closer to him and kissed him. She wanted it to be short, but it was long. Vaughn didn't want to let go, but towards the end, neither did Clarissa. Vaughn ended it. "Ok, well, it's only another day." She turned towards the door and ran out. 

Clarissa walked down the hall, not knowing where she was headed. She was looking down on the floor, still feeling Vaughn's kiss. She finally looked up from the granite to realize that she did not know where she was headed. The hall was too long to see the end. She closed her eyes. She was know at a different part of the hall. She closed her eyes again. She was in a different hall, at the corner, or maybe it was the same one. Clarissa started to panic. She ran down the hall, but there was never an end, and she couldn't find the corner any more. She frantically opened a door, but stupidly, closed her eyes. This time she was at the entrance of the castle. The huge door was wide open. Clarissa ran into the forest, and finally came to the end, the end. She came to a large abyss. She stopped on the edge. A few rocks and peices of dirt fell into the unending dark crevice. She wanted to jump, but if she blinked she would be somewhere different. She lifted a foot, but turned around at the calling of a voice. They said, "Don't jump Clarissa!" Vaughn ran out from the trees and approached her. 

"One more step and I _will_ jump!" Clarissa yelled. The ground broke under her feet and she plummeted into the abyss. There was an angel, or at least she thought. The wings we so bright and they came closer to her. Clarissa still was falling. but the angel was coming closer. She did not dare close her eyes. _It's Vaughn!_ Vaughn was her angel. He had glorious wings. He picked her up and they went back to the top of the cliff where he set her down. By know, the spell that had been cast upon her had been broken by Vaughn, and Clarissa had fainted out of shock. 

~~*~~

It was snowing. It never snowed here. Ever. Or at least that's what Clarissa thought when she looked out the window. _I thought it never snowed her. Someone told me that. Who?_ She sat up in the warm bed looking out the window. _Why am I in a warm bed? I only remember Vaughn._ Just then, he came into the room. He didn't realize that she was up.

"Why is it snowing?" she asked. She turned her veiw to him. 

"Because it's supposed to snow?" Vaughn sat down beside her.

"I'm not going to ask what happened like I usually do," Clarissa said.

"It's been more than a day. You could leave for Melaso tomorrow," he said.

"Why tomorrow? Why not today?" she asked.

"You can't leave today. You just woke up."

"Yes. but I can walk." 

"Yes, but you're probably not going to be able to." 

Ok, now you're making me hungry." 


	10. Part Two: Four

Chapter four

The next day, when Clarissa could finally walk without permission, she boarded the Crusade to go to Melaso. There wasn't any kissing in the halls this time because this was the first trip that Vaughn wasn't there with her, but she arrived without any troubles. Tren was surprised to see her at dinner that night. Dinner was quiet, too quiet for Clarissa. She sat across from Tren, occasonally looking up at him from her full plate of food. She didn't eat much, and it wasn't because she didn't like her food. The room was too akward to be in. Every time she looked up at her plate, she would try to get Tren's attention, but not really want to. She finally got sick of the silence and got up from her chair. She walked out of the room, only taking a breath when she left. 

Clarissa roamed the halls, frequently looking up to see where she was. She didn't want the same thing to happen as it did in Fanelia. Then she found herself at the library. Clarissa noticed that the books had been put back in their places, but still walked into the room. She touched the table before she sat down, getting a feeling from it. I guess the only way you could describe it was as unique. Nothing she'd usually get from touching a table. The air felt like someone else was in the room. Clarissa noted not to turn around immedeitally, but she lost her patience. She turned her head towards the door. Tren was standing in the doorway. She looked back to the table which her hand still rested upon. 

"Why'd you come back?" he asked.

"I needed to know more. Truthfully, I wouldn't of came back in the first place. It's hard to walk around the halls without feeling anything from it," she explained.

"What do you mean?" 

"I just get a vibe, a sense from everything. A vision comes from everything now." She paused, thinking about what she might say, "I almost died in Fanelia. I got so crazy that I almost fell off a cliff."

"Things in Melaso have been unpleasent. Maybe you've felt that, too."

"It's snowing," she mentioned.

"Yeah, it always snows this time of year."

"You know, I've been thinking up a theroy, and this one's pretty understandable. Well, maybe it's not really, but it could be true. You know that you can't see Gaea from Earth, right, but you can see Earth from Gaea. And everyone on Gaea knows about the Mystic Moon, but almost no one on Earth knows about Gaea. And since Gaea and Earth have the same time, even though I don't believe time is a correct measurement, but I'm thinking that their's a hole in time. It's like parellel universes. I'm thinking that that since the Atlantians made Gaea out of a last resort, then that means that Earth was potentially destroyed. Since on Gaea they considered that this planet was made, that means that Earth was destroyed because Gaea wouldn't have been made unless Earth was destroyed. I can prove that because it was a last resort to save the people. That means in the parellel universe, Earth was never destroyed and Gaea existes," Clarissa explained.

"So you're saying that the Mystic Moon and Gaea are in two parellel universes. In one universe, Earth was never destroyed and people still live on it, but in the other, Earth was destroyed and Gaea was made. Then how come we can see the Mystic Moon?" Tren asked.

"That's where the hole in time comes to play. There's a hole in between the two worlds that lets people travel between them, but the only thing that's holding them open are the pendents. I'm not sure how many there are, but I think that my pendent and Vaughn's pendent are the same. I think that one was made, but since there's a time hole, then that means that one was on Earth and one was on Gaea, seeing that both universes were made. The hole only seems to be visalbe on Gaea, though. I'm not certain why." Clarissa looked out the small window at the Mystic Moon. _Strange to think someone would believe anything I say._

~~*~~

"Strange," Clarissa said the next morning. It had stopped snowing, and the sun shown apon the glossy surface. The light relected off of her eyes. _So if the pendent is a protal between two worlds, then what does my past have to do with it?_ It was a question that had been intriguing her for several days. The windows ran down to the floor in this hallway. It reminded her of several buildings in New York City. There was a black flash at the side of her vision. She looked over to the side of her, looking for the answer. She starred for minutes, waiting for it to come back, but it never came. Clarissa kept on walking in the hallway, cautiously looking out the windows, waiting for it to come back, but it never came. She abrubtly turned around once or twice. Clarissa knew that she was being followed, but every time she looked, nothing was there. She ignored it, and put it in the 'tricks' section of her mind. 

A creepy feeling then shook her. She touched the glass of the window and immediately closed her eyes. The blackness of the vision soon opened up to contain a white backround. It started snowing, and she got a message from all of it. _Beware the Past. Seek the truth. The light is not as it may seem._ She slowly opened her eyes and ran her fingers through her hair. Clarissa kept walking, and disregareded the statment. The windows soon disappeared as she walked out onto the balcony over looking the city. It was the same one that she had looked over when she first came here. Clarissa walked towards the railing, looking down at the city below.

A hand placed itself on her shoulder. She quickly turned around having a worried look on her face. The black flash went through her mind as she looked at the person. Her worried look Vaughnished as she said one word, "Vaughn." She smiled. "You didn't have to come." 

"So. If it was my desicion, I wouldn't have let you come to Melaso in the first place."

"You don't have to hide your feelings from me. We both know that you really love me," Clarissa smiled once more.

"So, what's wrong with coming? It seems like most bad things happen in Melaso. Nothing wrong in protecting you," Vaughn explained.

"I don't need to be protected, but if you want to I guess it's ok." Clarissa smiled. She started to think about her previous thoughts. _What's the connection?_

"You're worried." 

"No I'm not," Clarissa responded.

"We both know that you're no good at lying."

"Only in certain circumstances." Clarissa turned away from him, looking back at the city.

"You're really worried. What is it?" Vaughn asked.

"You really want to know. Ok? You know how we both have pendents? Well, they're the same pendent. Don't say anything. I know it sounds weird, but it's true. I'm not sure how it connects to Victoria, but it seems that she knows more than us." She turned back around, looking into Vaughn's eyes. Her pendent glowed. "How do I figure it out?" Vaughn calmed her down. 

"It's ok. It's come with time. Just wait," he comforted.

"I can't wait! It might cost me my life!" 

He put his hand on her cheek, "Waiting might not cost your life."

She sighed, taking his hand off her cheek, "But, it is my perception that makes me see otherwise." She let go of his hand and walked away. 

~~*~~

"What if I can lure her to the Mystic Moon, come back, destroy my pendent so that she's trapped in that world forever," Clarissa suggested. They were trying to figure out how to defeat Victoria sensably at the meeting. Everyone who knew about the situtaion was there. 

"How would you do that?" Tren asked.

"Easily, Victoria only comes in my dreams, which means that I could have a dream and open a portal, get her to the mystic moon, come back and destroy the pendent, which leaves the portal closed, forever."

"I'm not letting you do that. Something may go wrong," Vaughn said.

"It's the only way. She's coming after me, not you."

"Fine, we can set it up when it becomes a threat, but I'm coming with you," Vaughn ordered.

"How would you do that? It's dream, you can't be in my dream unless I wish it to be that way."

"I will go with you."

"Ok, then the next time Victoria appears in Clarissa's dreams, then that's the end," Tren said as he got up from his seat and left the room so that Vaughn and Clarissa could talk.

"You don't have to do this," Clarissa said after the silence.

"Yes, I do. I can't leave you there." There was a breif silence before Clarissa started laughing. "What? Did I miss something?" Vaughn asked.

"No, it's nothing. I don't want to argue. You can come with me, I just don't want everything to be too complicated."

"I don't get it. You sure I didn't miss something?" Vaughn asked.

"Yeah, I'm sure, it's fine." She got up from her seat and walked over to Vaughn. "Are you sure you're ok? You look surprised."

"I am surprised. You didn't argue. You've changed." Vaughn stood by Clarissa.

"I'm not sure anyone could've stayed the same." She walked out of the doors.


	11. Part Two: Five

~~*~~

Chapter five

"Clarissa, why are you doing this?" Vaughn asked.

"I have no purpose anymore. I have to find out who I truly am," Clarissa replied. 

"Things could always stay the same."

"No, things would never be the same."

"Why are you acting this way? I feel like I want to help, but I don't know how." 

"It's ok," she smiled, "I like to work things out on my own. Lately, though, I've kind of lost myself. Well, not really, but, I just feel dissapointed. I wish I could go back to the way things were before, but you can't change the past. I wish that I'd be happy again. I feel like I'm lost in my own thoughts. You know how crucial that is? No matter how much I want you to say that everything's ok, you can't convince me not to do this." Her eyes glowed, reflecting in the sun. Clarissa turned her back towards the sun, facing Vaughn. She sighed heavily. "I hate it. Sometimes I regret that I even came. Sometimes I wonder why it all happened to me. But the worst part is that I can't go back."

"You're really going to end it, aren't you?" he asked. Clarissa nodded. 

"What she wants is to control all of Gaea. I can't let her do that. Closing the gate is best for the future," she explained.

"How do you know that your pendent is the one to destroy?" Vaughn asked intentively.

"Two were made when Atlantis was destroyed. One was for Earth, one was for Gaea. Your pendent came from," she paused before saying the name, "Hitomi, and she got it from her grandmother, and her from Allen's father. So that pendent must be the one that connects the gate from Gaea. Mine also came from my grandmother, and her from her grandmother, and generations before. Mine was the one ment to stay on Earth. Mine connects the gate from Earth. There's also one catch, they both have to be used at the same time for the portal to open. It just so happens that I was thinking about Gaea when Hitomi left. But that was never a problem. So you see, it's going to happen, soon. But it's for the best." She smiled weakly.

~~*~~

Clarissa shifted positions in her bed, trying aimlessly to get to sleep. Things were on her mind, of course, the obvious. She couldn't stand to keep her eyes closed long enough to get his over with. Clarissa found herself walking towards the door, opening it, and walking towards a room, Tren's room. She stood at the door, with her hand on the door knob before she caught herself standing there, wondering how she even got there. She shook her head and then found herself walking to Van's room and opening the door. She noticed he wasn't asleep, either. He look up when she walked into the room, getting a worried look on his face. She rolled her eyes. 

She answered the look on his face with two words, "Couldn't sleep." She shruged. She shook her head. "I'm probably worried, though. What if everything goes wrong. What will happen then?"

"What do you want to do?" he asked, "Go on living like this every day? You have to try, but I'm not going to force you to go to sleep." 

She smiled, then rubbed her eyes, "I'm so tired, though." She came over and sat on the bed next to him. "You have to promise me something, though." He nodded. "You have to promise me that when everything's over, we'll live to be gray and old." Clarissa laughed. 

Vaughn nodded, "I'll promise you that." Clarissa had already fallen asleep with her head resting on his shoulder. He smiled as he lifted her into the bed.

~~*~~

"A thousand years of suffering and the diamond is still cut. A thousand years of pain and the blood still cries. A thousand years of hell and the truth is soon forgotten," Clarissa whispered standing one a balcony. The same balcony that she had stood at the other night when Victoria came. A light glowed in her eyes as she watched the portal appear, coming closer until it reached the hieght of the balcony. She stepped back, waiting for Victoria to enter. When she did Clarissa said, "Victoria, I've been waiting for you."

"No, it is you I've been waiting for," she answered.

"What do you want with me? Or should I rather say, what do you want with us?"

"You know what I want, and I'll do anything to get it, anything."

"A thousand years of suffering and the diamond is still cut. A thousand years of pain and the blood still cries. A thousand years of hell and the truth is soon forgotten." Clarissa closed her eyes, and made a wish and Vaughn appeared beside her. Victoria soon became confused, looking from Clarissa to Vaughn. "This should be you epitaph, don't you know? It's been said for a thousand years, even before the three were prophesied. A pure ingenious of luck that sprung apon the person that foretold this." She shook her head. "Well, end it, kill me already!" Victoria still was confused, but soon became aware of what Clarissa was doing. 

She took up a sword as Clarissa nodded to Vaughn. Victoria ran at Clarissa, put another portal had appeared and pulled them all to Earth. Clarissa landed suddenly with Vaughn, hard on the ground. Victoria appeared moments later, still charging at them. Before Clarissa could get back, Victoria's sword hit metal, Vaughn's sword and she opened her eyes. Victoria and Vaughn started vigourisly sparing. They swayed from side to side, so fast that it was impossible of keep up with all of it. 

Soon, Victoria was laying on the ground, with Vaughn's sword at her thoat. "If you ever, try to even kill her again, I swear you will be dead." He removed the blade from it's standing. "But I am not the one to kill those not posing threats, innocents. Even though you are on the line between the two." He went to go stand by Clarissa, as she made a portal. 


	12. Part Two: Six

~~*~~

Chapter six

They escaped and landed on a soft patch of land near the castle. Vaughn lay on the ground with Clarissa laying on top of him. By now, it was day. Clarissa lifted the necklace off of her and stared at it for a second. 

"I'm going to miss not having it around my neck." She threw it down against a rock, letting it shatter. She covered her face as the glass shards flew around her and Vaughn, but luckly, none hit them. 

"So that's it, she won't come back?" Vaughn asked. 

Clarissa nodded, "Never, but there is one thing. Was I really Charissma back there? It's seemed like I wasn't the one controling myself."

"I guess we'll never know. What does it matter anyway?" He looked at the position. "Now that I have you like this."

"You mean now that I have _you_ like this." He smiled, but halfway through, Clarissa kissed him. "It always ends with a kiss," she whispered. 

~~~*~~~


End file.
